Circus4APsycho8's 30 Day Writing Challenge Response (CONYAAAAA!)
by Circus4APsycho8
Summary: I'm taking the 30 Day Writing Challenge. It revolves around CoNya. Enjoy you weirdos! :) If you don't like CoNya and can't handle it, please don't read. (Cole X Nya. It's real.) *Please note that I found this challenge on Pinterest, I did not make it. *EDIT: 10/17/17- *inhales* 5k VIEWS! NEARLY 100 REVIEWS? I LOVE YOU ALL! THANK YOU!
1. Introduction :D

**Hey guys! I took a 30 Day OTP Writing Challenge. I wrote every single one of them out in my notebook and then revised them when I typed it up. This will revolve around CoNya.**

 **I will rate each one individually. I'm guessing the highest rating will be Fiction T.**

 **Here are the themes for each one:**

 **1\. Getting Lost**

 **2\. Pet Names**

 **3\. Patching Each Other Up**

 **4\. Hospital Visits**

 **5\. Scar Worship**

 **6\. Making fun of one another**

 **7\. Death of someone close**

 **8\. Sleeping in**

 **9\. Hugging**

 **10\. Watching the other sleep**

 **11\. Drawing each other**

 **12\. Having a lazy day**

 **13\. In a fairy tale**

 **14\. Geeking out**

 **15\. Teaching each other how to do something**

 **16\. Needing each other**

 **17\. Washing something**

 **18\. One is sick**

 **19\. Spoiling one another**

 **20\. Shopping together**

 **21\. Buying flowers for the other**

 **22\. Competition**

 **23\. Being old together**

 **24\. Dealing with children**

 **25\. Trying to seduce one another**

 **26\. Interacting with family members**

 **27\. Moving in together**

 **28\. Falling in love**

 **29\. Doing chores**

 **30\. Pillow talk**

 **I hope you like it! This calls for some much needed CoNya fluff! I had to rewrite a lot of these, so...**

 **Another thing: I challenge all fanfiction authors to take this challenge! :) For any of your OTPs!**


	2. 1- Getting Lost

**#1- Getting Lost**

"That's it! We're lost!" Nya exclaimed. Cole shook his head.

"No we aren't! We're navigating, remember?" Cole responded,

Nya groaned. The two were trying to find their way back home. They ran into a group of bandits and were highly outnumbered, but still beat them, even though the two were too exhausted to summon their Elemental Dragons. They had been forced to rent a car. Now, the couple had been out for hours with no luck. The sun was beginning to set, and they both were about to fall asleep.

"Yes, admit it! We're lost!" Nya said.

She was silenced when Cole pulled the old Suburban into the grass. He stopped the car, then got out.

He sat back in the seat, letting go of the steering wheel and turning off the car. Nya gave him a skeptical look.

"Let's camp here. I'm tired. You're tired. And it will do us no good to keep arguing." He climbed out of the car. Nya opened the door and hopped out, slamming it behind her. She held her cell phone up to the sky, trying to get a signal.

She huffed. "Nothing."

Cole nodded. "As expected in the middle of nowhere."

The water master sighed, shoving her phone back in her pocket. Cole walked to her and grabbed her hand. He dragged her to the back of the car.

"Ugh, what now?" She watched as he opened the hatch.

"Let's get some sleep." He found their jackets stowed away in the back, then he found a roll of brand-new carpet that must've been recently bought. He stepped in and used the roll of fabric as a makeshift pillow. Using his jacket for a blanket, he curled up.

Nya couldn't deny the next wave of exhaustion rush over her. She climbed in next to him. He sat up, then closed the hatch.

Nya kicked off her shoes and curled next to Cole. He scooped her into his arms and put his chin on her head. She snuggled closer to him as he wrapped the jacket around her.

"We can share-" Nya started, but he interrupted.

"I'm not cold. You, however, have goosebumps all over your skin."

Nya was about to protest. The silence bothered her.

"It's too quiet." Nya muttered as Cole fell asleep beside her.

She rolled her eyes, but fell asleep as well.

{ [ ] }

Nya woke to the sound of crinkling. She opened her eyes to see Cole feasting on a granola bar. He smiled when he saw her. She sat up, and he offered her a dark chocolate and peanut butter one.

"Good morning, sunshine. I saved your favorite kind for you."

She smiled and took it. "Thank you."

"Well...I have some bad news."

"What?"

"I sort of, kind of, maybe left the headlights on last night."

Nya froze. "No!"

"Yup. The car's battery is dead."


	3. 2- Pet Names

**2- Pet Names**

Nya rubbed her tired eyes and pulled Cole's sweatshirt tighter around her. Padding into the kitchen, she silently grabbed two coffee cups and poured herself and Cole a cup. Opening the fridge after she had set the cups down on the counter, she snagged the half and half, pouring a little bit in hers and a lot more in Cole's. She sweetened Cole's by popping a few sugar cubes in it. He hated bitter coffee, unlike Nya.

She took a sip of hers, then picked up Cole's and walked out to the deck of the Bounty, where she knew Cole would be. He was sitting against the pole supporting the sail, looking out at the sunset. Dressed in sweatpants and an orange hoodie with his hair in an unruly mess, Nya walked over to him and handed him his coffee.

"Morning, love," she said, handing him his cup and sitting next to him.

His eyes lit up when he saw her. He took his cup and smiled at her.

"Good morning," his grin got even wider when he added: "cutie."

Nya sighed. As much as she hated the nickname, she knew Cole had already fallen into the habit of calling her cutie. Plus, secretly, and way deep down where no one would ever find it, she liked it when he called her cutie. Only when Cole called her cutie.

"Thank you. Whenever you make my coffee, it's perfect!"

Nya smiled. "You're welcome, love."

She curled up next to him and put her head on his shoulder. He took her hand in his.

His gaze settled on the mess of colors in the sunrise. Underneath layers of orange and red were pinks and yellows. The sun rose behind the distant skyscrapers of Ninjago City.

Cole sipped his coffee, then he set his coffee down next to him and pulled Nya into an embrace. They stayed like that until the sky turned blue and fluffy clouds dotted the sky.

"I love to watch the sunrise. My favorite shades of orange are always in the sky." He said. When he got no response, he looked at Nya and saw that her eyes were closed. Her breaths were steady.

He smiled at the little smile on her face, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes. He stroked her cheek, whispering:

"I love you, cutie."


	4. 3- Patching each other up

**3- Patching each other up**

 **This one took a while...I hope you like it! Thank you for reviewing!**

Nya grunted as she pushed the needle through the tear in her shirt. Sewing wasn't really her forte, but Misako wasn't here and Nya wanted her favorite shirt back. Now.

When she finally pushed the tiny, metal stick through the fabric, she used one finger to push it up, unaware that her other finger was right under the surface of where the needle would push up.

"Ow!" She yelled, throwing the needle on the shirt, and inspecting her finger. It was bleeding a little bit. Rolling her eyes at her own clumsiness, she went to get a bandage. She placed it on her finger and gave it a small pat.

She forgot about her injury when Cole came stumbling in, cursing and bleeding. His arm was covered in blood, and he had a large gash on his bicep. Nya was immediately at his side and asking him what happened.

"Ummf...we...we were training, then Kai shoved me and I fell onto a pointy rock."

Nya scowled as she guided Cole to her room. She made him sit on her bed, and he watched her as she gathered a few materials. Once she found what she needed, she dumped everything onto the bed, then she went to grab some clean towels. She hopped on the bed next to him and then inspected his wound. Her fingers gently curled around his elbow, moving it towards her.

"it's pretty deep," she stated, digging a flashlight out from the pile. She clicked it on, then peered inside the gash. She bit her lip. "It looks like there's still pieces of rock in there. I'm gonna have to get them out before I sterilize the wound." She found a pair of metal tweezers and rubbed them with an antiseptic wipe.

"This is going to hurt, but you're gonna have to stay still."

Cole sighed as Nya set the tweezers onto a paper towel and put her hand on his good bicep. He looked at her.

"Do it." He said.

She nodded and moved the supplies to her desk, instructing Cole to lie down. He obeyed, then he extended his wounded arm on the bed. Nya came over, holding the tweezers.

"i'll hold your arm down." She said, positioning her hand with the tweezers over his wound, then she planted her other arm over his, and pressed her weight onto his arm. She took a deep breath.

"Don't watch this." She said. Cole glued his eyes on her face, but the scoop neck tank top she was wearing forced his gaze on her chest.

Nya rolled her eyes, and blushed at where his gaze had settled. He only smiled.

Nya seized his distraction as an opportunity, then she gently lowered the tweezers into his bicep. He hissed, and his arm tensed, but he didn't move. Carefully and slowly, she picked out the small chunks of rock and set them on the paper towel.

When she finished, she dropped the tweezers onto the paper towel. Cole sighed in relief along with Nya.

"Now, I'm going to sterilize it." She found a bottle of clear liquid, then poured a tiny bit into the wound. It sizzled in his flesh, then it settled into his tissue.

"Okay, now to stitch it closed." She grabbed a needle and began stitching.

Cole managed to pry his gaze off of her chest and on her face.

"Do you do this often?" He asked.

"Yeah. You'd be surprised how many times I've had to do this in my lifetime." A small smile tugged on her lips, like she was reliving an old memory.

His gaze shifted to her hands, which were moving fluidly along the length of his arm. Her soft fingertips danced along his skin as she stitched.

"There," she said, petting his arm, "all better."

Cole looked up at her with lazy eyes. "Thank you, Nurse Nya. Do I get a lollipop?"

Nya giggled. "No. But you do get this," she pecked him on the cheek,

"That's even better than a lollipop!" Cole said mischievously.

She placed her hands on his neck and titled his chin up with her thumbs.

"You are beautiful." Cole whispered.

She bit her lip and smiled. "You are, too."

He lifted her hand off of his neck and inspected the tiny bandage on her finger. He looked up at her, eyes laced with concern.

"I pricked myself when i was sewing."

She giggled when he gave her sad puppy eyes. He gently kissed the tip of her finger.

"All better?" He asked, holding her hand to his chest.

She nodded and leaned in for another kiss.


	5. 4-Hospital Visits

**4- Hospital Visits**

 **Loki- I did not know that, thank you!**

 **TheGeekyNinja- Thank you so much! :D :D :D :D Can't wait to read more of Sleeping Beauty. (THAT STORY IS AMAZING. YOU SHOULD READ IT.)**

 **Guest- Thank you!**

 **66samvr- LOL YEEEESSSS**

 **Patata-** **¡Gracias! Espero que disfruten del resto!**

Impatiently, Cole tapped his foot on the floor. Normally, he was patient, (it was in his element, after all) but not today. Nya was hurt, and he wanted-no, needed-to see her. The other ninja were stationed throughout Ninjago and would be here soon. When Cyrus had called him, he had been the closest.

He banged the back of his head against the wall. The other people in the waiting room shot him an annoyed look. He hadn't been this fidgety since...a while ago.

His mind wandered to what had happened. If someone had touched her...oh, they'd have hell to pay.

"Nya Smith?"

Cole immediately stood. The nurse gave him a smile that could've been made out of plastic.

"Please, follow me."

He was led to a small room. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, he turned to see Nya on the bed, flashing a small smile. She was dressed in hospital gown that showed off her thighs, or, one of them, as the other was enveloped in a cast that covered her whole leg.

"Hey, big guy." she whispered as he took her hand. He gave it a light squeeze.

"Hey, cutie." he responded. "How are you doing?"

"It hurts like hell." she responded.

He frowned. "What happened?"

She sighed. "I was training with one of Cyrus Borg's nindroids, but one glitched. I tried to jump over it, but it grabbed my leg and pulled it in the wrong direction." She shuddered at the memory.

Cole's brow knitted together in concern. "I'm sorry, love. I'll be the first one to sign your cast when we get home!" He announced, making Nya giggle.

"Where are the others? Still on station duty?" She asked. Their hands remained interlocked.

Cole nodded. "They'll be here soon. But for now, you're stuck with me." He shrugged.

Nya smiled, bringing her hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes and smiled, pressing his own hand to hers, enjoying the warmth of it spread across his cheek. He kissed her palms and knuckles.

She pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him, feeling him smile against her lips. Gently and slowly so he wouldn't hit her injured leg, he sat next to her. She used his chest as a pillow.

"Is this okay?" He asked.

She nodded. The two laid there in silence for a while.

...

...

...

A white rectangle filled with white light streaked his black vision. Slowly, he opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light. Gradually, his surrounding focused into one picture. Cole looked around.

He was in a hospital room, lying on a bed. He had tubes attached to his chest and a plastic band around his wrist. He tried to move his head, but it screamed in pain.

He moaned, and felt a hand on his forehead.

"Don't move, love. You fell and hit your head really hard. Now you have a severe concussion." The hand moved down to his cheek, and the shadow moved into detail.

Nya hovered over him with a worried expression on her face.

"Nya? Damn. What happened?"

"You were training, and you slipped. You hit your head on the ground really hard." She bit her lip.

"Oh. Well, then," he enveloped her hand in his and gave it a squeeze, "when can we go home?"

She smiled softly. "Within the next few hours."

Cole groaned, but Nya silenced him with a kiss. He instantly stopped and returned it.

They pulled apart and touched foreheads. Her hands were cold, so he squeezed them and held them to his heart. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat under the fabric.

"The doctor said you're not allowed to look at any screens for a week. So basically no electronics and no thinking for a week. Your brain needs to heal." Nya stated, gently poking his forehead.

Cole sighed. This would be a long week.

"Man!" Cole said. "But he didn't say we couldn't kiss."

He was interrupted by the door being open and the others pouring in.

"There goes our peace and quiet." Nya muttered.


	6. 5- Scar Worship

**5- Scar Worship**

 **Yello! Some review responses~**

 **MMM-Sorry, forgot to answer your question last chapter. Anyway, Jay might be in some of these. I haven't quite decided yet. Thank you!**

 **666samvr- YEAH LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU DO AND I WILL READ IT!**

 **Patata- Gracias! :D**

 **TheGeekyNinja- No problem! Thanks for reading!**

 **And to the 2 guests that reviewed...thank you!**

Droplets of water slipped and slid down his bare back, the steam from the shower rising in thick puffs. The hot water soothed and relaxed his sore and tense muscles. He tilted his head up and allowed the liquid to seep into his eyes.

Turning off the shower, he stepped out and dried himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist, then stepped outside, greeted by the rush of cool air swarming his damp skin.

It was around nine o' clock. The sky was dark and the only light illuminating their room was the moonlight. Silently, he walked to his dresser and pulled on a pair of boxers.

Another light flooded the room. Cole turned to see his wonderful bride-to-be. She was lying on his bed, her dark hair tangled in a beautiful mess. Her hazel eyes were observing him.

"Did I wake you?" Cole asked, not bothering to throw a shirt on. He walked over to her and crawled on top of her. She grinned.

"No, love," she responded, hooking her legs around his waist, and coiling her arms around his neck. He returned the smile as he leaned down to kiss her. His lips swept over hers in a delicious tidal wave. When they separated, He felt her fingers on his collarbone, tracing the outline of his scar.

"How did you get this?" She asked as Cole laid down next to her.

He enveloped her fragile hand in his and smiled. "I got it before I was a ninja. I was rock climbing on a rainy day, and I slipped. I landed on my chest, my collarbone got the worst of it."

Then, he felt her luscious lips brush against the scar. He placed his hand on her hips and pressed his lips against her harder. His kisses eventually trailed down her breast. She tangled her small fingers in his damp hair and moaned.

"Do you have any scars?" He asked.

Nya rolled up her shirt to reveal a long scar that ran across her stomach.

"Cryptor cut me when you guys were in the Digiverse."

Cole frowned. "Do I have to go kick his ass?"

Nya giggled. "No, he actually apologized."

Their lips collided again.

 **Oh wow...what an ending, right? Man I suck with endings.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading!**


	7. 6-Making fun of one another

**6- Making fun of one another**

 **Thank you so much for reviewing!**

She stretched her arm as far out as it would extend, but she still couldn't reach the cup on the top shelf. She cursed under her breath and stood on her tippy toes, but to no avail.

Nya sighed. "Challenge accepted, cabinet." She pulled herself onto the counter, using the edge as a handhold. She stood her knees and finally was able to reach the cup. She grabbed it, then slid off of the counter.

"Finally." She muttered, blowing her bangs out of her face. She filled the glass with water, then she turned around-

-and screamed, dropping the cup. It shattered on the floor, its contents spilling everywhere. Cole was on his knees in front of her, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard.

"Overlord, COLE!" Nya yelled, guiding her bare feet around the broken glass, and walking over him to slap him playfully.

Cole inhaled sharply. "Your face...that...oh my overlord...that was funny."

Nya huffed, then bent down to pick up the broken glass. When Cole finally settled down, he helped her pick up the remains of the cup. They dumped the broken pieces into the trash, then Nya retrieved a towel. She wiped up the water.

"Why were you on your knees?!" She asked.

He shrugged. "I wanted to see the world from your point of view. Everything is so big."

Nya slapped him, her face red. "Shut up! You don't have to make fun of me. I know I'm short!"

Cole looked up at Nya, still on his knees.

"This must be how I look to you." He teased.

"Shut up!" She yelled, getting irritated. Cole stood. He was a good foot and a half taller than she was. He stepped around her, then traveled to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a piece of his beloved cake.

Nya smirked, an opportunity for revenge rising. She stepped towards him and poked him in the stomach. "If you keep eating like that, then your going to lose those gorgeous abs of yours." She poked him again.

Cole huffed. "Whatever. And it would affect you more than it'd affect me."

Nya cocked an eyebrow. "Do you want me to be sad?"

He shrugged, biting into the cake, not even bothering to get a fork.

Nya tried to get a cup again. The cup was further back in the cabinet this time. Nya gritted her teeth and tried to reach it.

She could feel Cole's smirk plowing into her shoulder blades.

She heard a clink behind her. Nya tried her climbing-on-the-counter technique. She squeaked when Cole snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her off. She flailed in his arms, laughing and squealing.

"Put me down, weirdo!" She yelled. The earth master carried her to the couch and set her down there. Nya yelled in surprise again, then she poked his stomach again. He retaliated by giving her a kiss. Her lips conformed into a smile as she pulled the earth ninja on top of her.

He radiated heat off of his skin. Pinned under him, she put her hand to his cheek, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. He pressed her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes. He gave her hand a squeeze, then opened her eyes. She found herself caught up in the sea of swirling greens in his eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful, Cole." Nya said. "They're so green!"

He smiled. "Your eyes are pretty, too. They're a weird mix of silver and hazel. They're...unique. Beautiful." He thought for a moment. "You know, for someone so short, you fit in my arms perfectly."

"Destiny." Was all Nya said, then they fell asleep.


	8. 7-Death of someone close

**7-death of a loved one**

 **Guys, your reviews are gonna make me cry. *wipes tear* Thank you for your ongoing support, it always inspires me to get off of my ass and WRITE!**

 **Now, let's kill Kai.**

He caught Nya fiddling with the hem of her shirt several times. He wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that Kai would be fine, that everyone on their team would walk out of this hospital okay and alive.

But that wouldn't be true.

Kai...wasn't okay. Cole choked back tears. He wouldn't be okay. There was no use sugarcoating the fact; it only worsened the entire situation. The stab wound had been deep. He had lost too much blood to possibly be okay by the time they had gotten to the hospital. All of their shirts and hands were caked in Kai's dried blood. Nya didn't seem to notice and Col simply didn't care. Kai was dying. There was nothing anyone could do but hope.

"Family of Kai Smith?"

The ninja stood up to face the nurse, and her face twisted into the dreaded expression of despair.

"I...I'm sorry."

Nya crashed into Cole's chest, tears already streaming down her face. Cole tried to fight his own tears, but couldn't. He cursed himself; first, he couldn't even save his own teammate, his own brother, and now he couldn't even comfort his love, stay strong for her. What kind of leader was he?

Overlord. He failed Kai. He failed Sensei. He failed his team. He failed Nya.

He failed himself.

Nya's heartbreaking sobs brought him back to reality. He hugged her tighter and rubbed her back. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually someone lead them to their car and they went home.

...

Groggily, Cole sat up. He slowly opened his eyes. He was lying in Nya's bed. It seemed like it was still dark outside.

A muffled sob caught Cole's attention. He turned. Nya was beside him, lying on her side. He could tell by the shake of her shoulders that she was crying. He hadn't slept well himself. Propping himself up on his elbow, he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He had no idea what to say to her, so he remained silent, and held her as she grieved.

He choked back his own tears. The earth master had to stay strong for her when she was falling apart. Her rock clutched her head to his chest as she scooted closer to him, then she looked up at him.

Her voice was hoarse and soft. "It's okay to cry."

He shook his head, but the tears betrayed him and ran down his face anyway. His tears slid down her hair as they held each other, tangled in their own embraces. For Cole, the next hour went by in a blurred haze.

"He's in a better place. He has to be. He always said that about our parents."

Cole shuddered. It was strange, having to talk about someone in past tense who was alive merely hours ago. Nya sniffed, and Cole rubbed her back. That was when he realized that their hands and shirts were still coated in dried blood. He stood, then pulled Nya to the bathroom.

He made Nya sit down on the edge of the tub, then he grabbed a clean washcloth and wetted it, pouring a bit of soap in it. He sat down on the toilet lid, then took her hand. He began scrubbing off the blood, neither of them saying anything. Nya silently observed him as he directed his attention to her hands. When he finished, her hands were still stained red, either from the remnants of the blood or the roughness of the washcloth. Setting the washcloth on the counter, he swiped a fresh one, then wetted it and doused it with soap. He gently cleaned her hands until they were back to their natural color.

She rubbed her hands together, then threw away the washcloths. She took two fresh ones and cleansed his hands.

He gave her a light kiss when she finished and thanked her. She offered a small smile, then stood, taking his hands.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" She whispered.

He nodded, and squeezed her hand.

Times may seem bad now, but at least now the had each other to help the other through Kai's death.

 **At first I wanted to make Kai die of something stupid, but then I realized that it would destroy the entire mood.**

 **Review? ^_^**


	9. 8-Sleeping In

**8-Sleeping In**

 **:D**

Cole silenced the blaring alarm by smashing his fist on it, nearly crushing it. The alarm silenced.

Cole yawned sleepily. Today was Sunday, the only day off the ninja had. He turned over onto his left side, facing Nya, whose eyes were barely open, her dark hair tangled and spilled onto her pillow.

"Are you getting up?" She pouted, grabbing his elbow.

"No." Cole responded. He pulled the blanket over their heads. He heard Nya laugh as he pulled her to him.

She giggled, abandoning her pillow and used Cole's chest as one. He lazily wrapped his arm around her. Nya listened to the steady beat of his heart while he ran his hands through her hair. She closed her eyes as his fingers frolicking in her hair. For some reason, Cole's heartbeat was the only one that made her feel relaxed and safe.

A few minutes later, the sound of running feet and distant shouts interrupted their moment of peace. Cole groaned while Nya let out a disappointed sigh.

"Well, I guess we should get up n-"

Nya threw her pillow at Cole's face. "No, we shouldn't." She responded with a smile grin.

Cole huffed, then threw the pillow back at her. She caught it, then stuck her tongue out at him. He wrinkled his nose at her, then suddenly leapt forward, colliding into her. She shrieked, and Cole fell on top of her, kissing her until he lost his balance and the two fell onto the floor, tangled in sheets.

"Um...guys?" came a tentative voice from outside the room.

"GO AWAY!" They yelled in unison, then kissed again.


	10. 9-Hugging

**9-Hugging**

Nya huffed, then sat down on her bed, choking back tears. Why? Why did Kai have to yell at her in front of the others? She fell onto her stomach, face in her pillow.

Today had been a very bad day. A few minutes ago, everyone had been out training on the deck of the Bounty. For some reason, Nya was very off-balance today, and she had tripped over nothing, causing her to land on Kai. He'd forgiven her, and everything went back to normal. A while later, Kai went to the edge of the Bounty to check his phone, and Nya followed him to ask him a question, but she tripped over a loose plank of wood and crashed into Kai again. He dropped his phone and it went over the side of the Bounty and into the ocean. Apparently, Kai thought she had only pretended to trip, and he got angry and started yelling.

That wasn't all. Earlier that day, she had been designing a 3-D model on her laptop. Everything was going well until a pop-up ad appeared on her screen right when she had clicked. It must've downloaded a virus, because it deleted everything off of her laptop. It was irrecoverable, and the poor water master skipped lunch trying recover them, but to no avail.

Then, after that, she had been forced to train on an empty stomach, which hadn't improved her mood one bit.

She sat up and hugged herself. Nothing was going right today, and it irritated the hell out of her. She wiped away her tears. She wouldn't be able to recover those files. She wouldn't be able to scrape up enough money to buy a new phone for Kai. Yet, she'd probably miss dinner trying to do both.

She would start by assessing the damage done to her laptop...again. Once her tears stopped flowing, and her eyes were less red, Nya stood and went to retrieve her laptop, hoping that she wouldn't run into anyone on the way there or back. Silently, she trotted along the hallway until she reached the dining room. Her laptop rested on top of the table. She swiped it, then retreated to her room. She was almost there when a bump in the carpeted floor latched onto Nya's ankle and refused to let go. Nya tripped, and was falling until a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her upright.

Nya shrieked in surprise as the arms spun her around to face their owner. Nya found herself staring into spearmint-colored gems.

He chuckled. "Well, someone's clumsier than ever today. What happened to graceful water ninja?" Cole asked, resisting her attempts to wiggle free of his grip. His smile faded when he saw her glassy eyes. Releasing her, she stepped away, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She clutched her laptop to her chest tighter and willed her eyes not to betray her.

But Cole seemed to understand. "Oh. Are you having one of those off days?"

Nya nodded, not trusting her voice. She pushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and sighed. "Thank you for catching me. I have to fix my computer," she threw her hand up in the air, gesturing, "but yeah."

The earthbender's expression softened. He took her hand and lead her to her room. He closed the door behind them, the turned to face the pitiful waterbender. He could tell by her eyes that she was doing all she could to prevent the dam from breaking. The two sat down on her bed.

"What happened?" He asked, allowing himself to take her hand.

"I accidentally downloaded a virus on my computer, and it deleted all of my files, so I skipped lunch trying to recover them, and I couldn't get them. Then, you saw the whole incident with Kai." Despite her stubborn attempts to hold back her tears, they spilled out anyway. She wasn't worried about it, because she knew Cole would understand.

For a minute, Cole looked like he was arguing with himself. He gave up a few moments later.

"I know what you need." He stated, his eyes glinting with a mischievous grin tugging on his lips.

"Cole, no-" Nya said, placing a hand on her forehead.

He ignored her. "-a big, comfy hug!" Before she could react, his arms were coiled around her torso, and she was pressed up against his chest. Her heart rate sped up, and she could already feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. He radiated warmth. The tears in Nya's eyes spilled down her face and onto Cole's shoulder. He held her tighter and gently rocked her. Some time later, her strained sobs quieted down into heavy breaths.

Nya craned her neck to look up at him. She smiled, then snaked her arms around his torso and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime, cutie. Now, get dressed, 'cause we're going to your favorite cafe."


	11. 10-Watching The Other Sleep

Cole watching Nya

The breakfast table was quiet as the ninja sipped coffee and enjoyed the waffles, bacon, and eggs that Zane had whipped up. Everything tasted phenomenal, as per usual with Zane's cooking, and everyone was chewing contentedly. Cole, chewing on a piece of bacon, suddenly realized that it was past nine o' clock. Nya was usually up at eight, so he excused himself and went to check on her.

He walked over to her room, where the door was shut. Slowly, he grasped the brass handle and twisted it open so the gears wouldn't click as noisily. He peeked inside to find her sprawled out on her bed, black hair splashed on the pillow. Her body is hidden beneath a tidal wave of blankets. He walked over to her bed and kneeled next to her.

He can't help but let out a small giggle. There was a little bit of drool hanging out from the side of her mouth. Her eyes were closed, and her face looked so soft that he couldn't help but run his hands over her forehead. She looked like she was ten years old. There was a dreamy expression rooted on her face.

Cole muffled his laughter as she muttered something about kicking someone's ass. She shifted onto her back.

He studies her face again. He sees she has two tiny, practically non-existent freckles on the lower part of her right cheek.

"You're so cute," he whispered, "you're adorable. I love you so much."

Nya watching Cole

Nya grunted as she slipped out of bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Quietly, she walked down the hall, then turned into the ninja's room.

A chorus of snores fill the room. She walked to Cole's bed, then kneeled down next to him. Cole's snores were louder than the other ninja's. His were cuter than the other ones, Nha thought. Cole's were loud, and had a rhythm to them. Whenever he snored, his nose wrinkled up a bit. When he wasn't snoring, his mouth hangs open a little bit. He looked like a little baby. If you touch him, he might wake up and throw a tantrum.

His coal-black hair is tangled up in a jumbled mess. For some reason, he looks like he's pouting.

She smiled, gently placing a small, chaste kiss on the tip of his nose, which wrinkled up after I kissed him. I giggled, then I stand up and go outside, knowing the ninja will be up within the hour.


	12. 11-Drawing Each Other

**11-Drawing Each Other**

There were two more piles of paperwork. Damage reports, reparation costs, bills, things that looked like they were in Greek for all Nya knew. She slumped over in her chair.

"The boredom...it's getting to me..." Nya whispered.

Cole, who was sitting across from her, eyed her suspiciously, setting another damage report aside. He put his chin in his hand, then reached across the table through the stacks of paper to poke her. She didn't respond.

"Hm," Cole said, crumbling up a blank piece of paper, then throwing it at her. She shot up, then stuck her tongue out at him. The earthbender tilted his head in consideration, then got an idea. "I'm going to draw you."

"Okay," Nya said eagerly. She sat up straight again, then watched him as he grabbed another blank piece of paper and began scribbling away. He made an effort to hide his drawing, and eventually had to admonish her for trying to peek. She groaned, then slid back down into her chair.

Nya passed the time by filling out a few more damage reports. Several smiles tugged on her lips as she heard the tip of his pencil scribbling away on the paper. He glanced up at her a few times and studied her face, then went back to his work. She watched his hand as his pencil glided over the paper, leaving dark marks underneath its path. He caught her looking at his hands a few moments later. He moved his hands around his precious masterpiece. Finally, a few damage reports later, he finished. He held his piece of art up to her to view.

The tugs on Nya's lips gave in and she smiled, then she looked at it.

The picture was beautifully drawn. Lines and dark marks outlined the Nya in the picture, and he hadn't missed a single detail of her face. There were her tiny, nearly invisible freckles on the lower part of her cheek, and then there was that tiny scar on her neck she had gotten from the fight with General Cryptor. The shading of the Nya in the picture was perfect, and she was smiling, eyes shining.

Nya giggled, and Cole put the picture down.

"Draw me!" He said.

Nya sighed. "But I suck at drawing..."

Cole shrugged. "Just do it, please?"

Nya rolled her eyes, then she grabbed a piece of blank paper from the stack, then she began drawing.

Her drawing didn't take nearly as long as Cole's had. She finished in a matter of moments.

She displayed her art to Cole, who burst out laughing.

All he could make out was a circle that seemed to serve as a head, with three disproportionate blobs, one smaller than the other two, which must've served as eyes and the other a nose. There were scribbles on his head that could have resembled hair. He had no neck, rectangular arms, a misshapen torso, and short, pointy legs. Apparently, his feet were on backwards.

Nya laughed with him. "I told you I can't draw!"

Cole said nothing, but stood up, walked over to her, and embraced her.

"It's perfect," he whispered, "I'm keeping it. I love you so much."


	13. 12-Having a Lazy Day

**12-Having A Lazy Day**

Sunday: the only day of the week that whose name would bring a contented smile to Cole's face. Sunday meant no training, cake, cuddling with Nya, video games, and food. Today was Cole's kind of day. He smiled lazily, hearing a sound he often never heard: _silence._ Pure _silence_. No footsteps running down the hall to get to the kitchen first. No one shouting about anything.

 _Silence._

Cole loved it when it was just him and Nya in the house. They had their own little system when it was just the two of them at home together. He paused his match with Pom-Pound the Great in Fist-2-Face 2, then he listened. She should be up by now. Cole knew that every Sunday, the water ninja would sleep in until nine o' clock. Then, Cole would be waiting for her in the recliner with an XBox controller in his hands and a huge bag of individually wrapped chocolate at his side.

Just then, he heard the shy little _pat-pat-pat_ of her feet down the hall. A few seconds later, she appeared at the doorway. Cole had to crane his neck to see her. She was dressed in blue and red polka-dotted pajamas, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She smiled tiredly when she saw him.

"Morning, Sunshine," Cole said. She yawned, then stretched, walking over to him.

"Good morning, my earth worm. How did you sleep?" She asked.

"I slept okay," he responded, "and you?"

"Fine," she responded. She climbed into his lap after she had made the both of them a cup of coffee, then he wrapped the blanket around them both. She watched him pick up his controller and continue to beat up Pom-Pound the Great. He won the match after he gave the fictional character a taste of one of his uppercuts.

"You try," he said, dropping the controller in her lap.

"But I haven't had my coffee!" She protested. "Just play!"

"I want to see you play." He said. "Come on, just one round..."

She huffed, blowing a loose strand of hair from her eye. "Fine. One round." She picked up the controller, then selected her opponent, which would be Fistus Strikeius. The arena they'd be battling in was in a crater somewhere on the moon, apparently. Nya smirked as her avatar took a battle stance.

"3...2...1...FIGHT!" The announcer on the game said. Nya began by punching Fistus in the face, then flipping over him and kicking him from behind. She kept bombarding the character with punches and kicks until his HP went down to zero, and he collapsed.

"Happy?" Nya asked, setting the controller down on the armrest. He curled his arms around her slim waist, then he kissed her forehead, tucking her head under his chin and holding her tight.

"Yes," he said. Nya could feel the beat of his racing heart underneath his hot skin. The heat that radiated off of his skin warmed her. She smiled, kissing his collarbone.

"Now, to celebrate the defeat of your enemy," Cole said, "we shall celebrate with chocolate!" He grabbed the bag of chocolate, then he poured it over Nya, who squealed. A shower of bite-sized, heart-shaped chocolate rained over her. The chocolate landed all over her.

Cole smirked as she wiped her face off. He plucked a piece off of her head, unwrapped it, then popped it into his mouth. Nya giggled, then she picked on up from her lap, then unwrapped it, discarding the wrapper on the floor. Holding it between her thumb and pointer finger, she was about to eat it when Cole stole it from her and ate it.

"I was going to eat that!" She yelled, throwing one at his face. She stuck her tongue out at him, but Cole only placed another unwrapped piece onto her tongue. She laughed, then chewed it. He gazed at her as she chewed.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, "even when you have heart-shaped chocolate on your head."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him, her heart racing. He suppressed a giggle, then pulled her closer to him. They separated.

"You taste like chocolate." Nya said.

"So do you!" Cole shot back.

She shrugged as he plucked another piece of chocolate. Nya stole it, then ate it.

His lips were in a thin line. "Woman, I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

The water master only grinned. "Well, figure it out, 'cause you're kind of stuck with me now."


	14. 13- In A Fairy Tail

**13-In A Fairy Tale**

 **Hey guys! Sorry this took so long! I have end-of-the-year tests, and I can't fail them, soooo...yyeeeeaaah.**

 **Anyway, here you go!**

The sky was blue, and there were white puffs of clouds in it. A breeze blew its way through the wondrous land of Ninjago.

A young maiden by the name of Nya wandered through the forest, searching for edible berries for mother's pie. Picking her way through thorns and thistles, until she came upon a waterfall. It rose around twenty feet, and traveled through what looked to be a weathered cliff, and it poured into a spring, its water clear, crisp, and bluer than the sky. She gazed in wonder at it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The voice jerked her out of her wonder, and make her jump. She lost her balance, then almost tripped into the spring. Her descent was stopped by a strong arm, which gently brought her upright.

Her eyes were wide, peridot gemstones staring in stupor at the man holding her so close to him.

He looked to be around her age: eyes the color of emeralds, hair the color of coal. She could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. Nervously, she stepped back and he released her, biting her lip and tucking a strand behind her hair.

"Oh! I...didn't mean to startle you!" He said, urgency evident in his tone. "It's just...I've never anyone else out here. Are you alright?"

A small chuckle escaped her ruby lips. "Oh, um, yes, sir, I am fine! It's really fine! I shouldn't have been spacing out anyway."

He only smile, tiny dimples in the corner of his smile. Suddenly, he kneeled down before her, taking her hand and giving it a small, chaste kiss.

"I am Prince Cole!" He said, resisting a small laugh from her confused expression.

"O-oh, y-you're the p-prince?!" She asked, seemingly in a debate about what she should do and say. He rose and smiled down at the bewildered woman.

"And you are...?"

She snapped out of her daze. "I am Nya."

"Nya," he repeated, studying her eyes, "well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm at your service, madame!" He announced, then bowed down dramatically before her. She giggled, then he rose once more. "Nya. Your name sounds familiar."

A dash of red was dusted on her cheeks, as she stuttered out words.

"Ah! You're the princess of Ignacia!" His smile grew wider as she blushed furiously. "I didn't think I would get to meet you in person." When she tilted her head down and averted eye contact, he reached out and took her chin in his hand, lifting it up so her eyes would meet his. Her peridot-colored eyes stared back up at him.

Her blush deepened, and she murmured out a thank you. Many of the suitors back in Ignacia called her beautiful nearly every day, but none of their compliments meant as much to her as Prince Cole's had.

He dropped her chin, then stepped back. She released a shaky breath, then intertwined her hands together. The prince's gaze lingered on her. Nya could tell he was debating something, until he finally gave up. She noticed how his lip was twisted into something like a resemblance of a pout, which made her giggle slightly.

He asked, "So...it's a beautiful day today. Would you like to accompany me on a walk?"

...

After secretly meeting with the Prince for a week or so, the relationship between the two took a turn.

They were both perched on a chuck of rock which hung next to the waterfall. There was a groove in it big enough for the both of them to fit, but was very crowded. At first it was awkward, but they grew used to it the more they got to know each other. When Nya peeked over the top, she could see the spring which she would tumble down to if she were to fall.

Cole seemed to be more contemplative than usual lately. She looked over at him, placing a hand over his. He shifted his gaze to her.

"I love coming out here with you," he said, sliding over to make room for her as she curled up next to him. He didn't let go of her hand.

She nodded in agreement. "I enjoy getting away from the duties of being heir to the throne. It's nice to be with someone who understands what the pressure is like."

There was a hopeful expression in his eyes. Words struggled to jump out of his mouth, eyes shining.

Nya giggled. He was too cute when he was confused or thinking. The twitching of his mouth was too tempting for her to resist.

She smiled, then pulled him to her. She forgot that they were on a cliff, and she rolled. His nose collided with hers, but they both lost their balance. Together, they tumbled into the spring.

Nya came up sputtering water and apologies, face as red as a tomato. Cole popped up next to her, spitting out water. His face lit up when he saw her, and they swam to the shore, where Cole shushed the stream of apologies tumbling endlessly from her humiliated lips with a proper kiss.

As soon as their lips connected, the embarrassment and the tightness in her own chest were shoved out of the way by a calming sensation that made her heart melt. Her chest and stomach were flooded by this feeling. She could hear her own heart pumping faster and faster as his rough hands pressed themselves into her neck, his thumbs resting on her throat, feeling her quickening pulse. Their eyelashes brushed together a few times as his tongue managed to slip past her melted defenses. She granted him full access.

Eventually, the sensation faded and they pulled away, gasping for air, only to collide again after they took a sufficient amount of breaths. This time, there was more tongue action as his hands crept around her waist. Straddling him, she kissed him harder as a burning desire in her chest spread across her body, sending a strange shiver down her spine.

Cole pulled himself away from her reluctantly, taking her by the shoulders and pressing his forehead against hers.

"Nya," he whispered, "come home with me. We...we could rule Ninjago together."

Processing his request, she bit her lip. She could deal with her family later. She nodded.

"I'd like that." She whispered.

 **Hmmm...how was the kissing part? I want to work on my make-out scenes cuz I suck at those. :/**

 **Review? Thank all of you who reviewed/read last chapter! Your comments get me off of my lazy ass and WRITE!**


	15. 14-Geeking Out

**Hey guys! Sorry I took so long on this one :( but anyways...um...oh yes...review responses-**

 **guests- thank you very much!**

 **TheGeekyNinja- Heheheheheheheheheheheheh yeah I almost spelled it Fairy Tail then I caught myself lol. I have to agree with you, though, writing that chapter sucked and I couldn't stuff anything in and make it work like the way I wanted it to. Thanks for being honest, though, I appreciate it!**

Fist 2 Face 3-Magik Version

"NO! DON'T GO THAT WAY!" Nya yelled, swerving herself to the right as she forced her avatar on screen to move to the right as Cole's jerked left, right in the direction of the loch ness monster the two were battling. Nya managed to avoid the blow of ice magic. Cole, however, wasn't as fortunate. He was hit, hard, too, and his HP lowered down to twelve out of fifty.

"Overlord, I'm sorry!" He yelled back, trying to figure out where he was and where the loch ness monster went.

"It's okay, just...stay by me, 'kay? Now where did that fucker go...?" She swiveled her avatar around, but it was nowhere to be found. The realization dawned on Nya a second too late.

"HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" She shouted. "USE YOUR FIRE MAGIC ON HIM!"

"I don't see him!" Cole stated, his avatar's fists glowing red on the screen.

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T! HE HAS CAMOUFLAGE!" Nya screamed as her avatar whipped out a wicked-looking sword.

The monster snuck up on Cole, and swooped up his avatar in his teeth. When it released Cole's character, his HP was dangerously low.

"RUN, NYA! RUN!" He yelled as his character swooped away from the monster.

"NEVER!" She shouted, then began bombarding the now-exposed sea creature with strikes from the sword.

"NO! NYA! THAT'S ME!" Cole yelled, but to no avail. His avatar collapsed, now dead.

"What? Oh. Sorry." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"It's okay. I'll respawn when you win. Now avenge me. KICK THE LOCH NESS MONSTER'S SCALY ASS!"

"Will do! With pleasure!" Nya spat as she kept sending blows toward the monster. Its HP low, she delivered a hard, critical blow to the back of its neck, and it collapsed.

"Yes! Now we get to defeat the final boss!" Cole said excitedly. Nya turned to him as she waited for the screen to finish loading.

"We make a good team." She said, pecking his lips.

"Yes. Our team needs a name, though." His brows furrowed in concentration, and Nya waited for him to come up with one. "I got one."

"Shoot." She said, placing her controller on her lap.

"Team RazzMaTazz."

She giggled, and Cole pulled her onto his lap, smothering her neck and cheek with kisses.

"Come on, we need to defeat the final boss," she said, controller clenched in her hands.

"Fine. Let's do this. Team RazzMaTazz, GO!"

Pokèmon Pearl Battle

"I've trained my Steelix so much for this moment." Cole stretched, as if getting ready for a fight. "There's no way you'll win. But good luck anyway, love!"

"Heh. Don't need it." She smirked. "Thank you anyway, love."

On Cole's team, he had a Steelix, a Geodude, a Torterra, a Lucario, and a Registeel that he had traded with Lloyd. On Nya's team was an Empoleon, a Roserade, a Gengar, and a Staraptor.

"STEELIX! I CHOOSE YOU!" On the screen of both of their DS's, a Steelix popped out of the Pokèball. Level 97.

"Empoleon! I choose you!" Out of the Pokèball appeared the water-type penguin Pokèmon, which was Level 107. Nya heard Cole sigh a few choice words.

"What was that, dear?" She asked in a teasing tone, the smirk growing.

"Nothing." He replied, eyes focused on the screen. Nya looked down at hers to see that Cole had the first turn. His Steelix used the move Dragon Breath, causing the Empoleon to lose sixty health points. She made her Empoleon use the move Surf, which caused the Steelix to use ninety health points, HP bar turning yellow. The Steelix retaliated with another round of Dragon Breath, making the Empoleon's HP turn yellow, too. The Empoleon used Surf again, and knocked the Steelix out.

Cole inhaled deeply. He sent out his Geodude, an idea forming. The Empoleon used Drill Peck. It didn't do much damage, thankfully. It looked like luck was on his side today.

Cole selected for his Geodude to use Self-Destruct for a hundred points of damage, knocking both the Geodude and the Empoleon out.

Nya let out an annoyed sigh.

"Thanks for taking one for the team, buddy. Alright, Lucario, go!" Cole watched Nya's pouty expression with a satisfied smirk.

"Gengar, go!" She said as the little purple pokèmon popped out of its Shadow Ball.

"Okay, Lucario, use..." he selected Extreme Speed, lowering the Gengar's health down to a yellow bar. Gengar retaliated with Dark Pulse.

Cole said nothing when the Lucario fainted. He closed his eyes with a strained smile on his face.

"Having fun yet, earthworm?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows in a smug way.

"The real fun is about to start. GO, STEELIX!"

The Pokèmon battle continued, and Nya kept knocking out the rest of his team. He was growing more frustrated by the second, as Nya always had a new trick up her sleeve.

As his last Pokèmon fainted on the battlefield, Nya laughed.

"Just because you're my boyfriend doesn't mean I have to go easy on you in Pokèmon. Pokèmon is serious business."

Cole mumbled a few words under his breath. Nya shut her DS and tapped her fingers on the table, then went over to him and kissed him on the lips. He grunted, but caved.

"I'm still mad at you." He muttered.

Nya only laughed. "Come on. You weren't that bad."

"Yes I was."

"No you weren't. Hey. Look at me, big guy. I need to kick Kai and Jay's asses, 'cause they got Pearl last weekend and have both been training since. Will you team up with me?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine."


	16. 15-Teaching Each Other Something

**Heya. Thank you all for reviewing! :) I think I'm gonna do a double update tonight since you guys have been so patient with my spazzy update schedule.**

 **BUT WE'RE HALFWAY THERE, GUYS**

 **GUESS WHO ACTUALLY PROOF READ THIS CHAPTER? THIS GUY *points to self***

Cole sighed, raking his calloused fingers through his dark hair. Another long day of training had been completed, but at the expense of his energy. He climbed onto the deck of the Bounty, and was about to begin stretching out his tense muscles when the shrill ring of the fire alarm went off inside. The earth master raced inside to find Nya swatting at the air near the alarm with a towel while yelling "IT'S JUST FOOD!" at the sparratic beeps of the alarm. Cole chuckled, then propped the door open with the wooden wedge residing on the ground. He used his superior height to reset the smoke alarm, causing it to go quiet, then wrinkled his nose at the smell of burnt something drifting through the air.

"And you say I can't cook." Cole said, that irritatingly sexy smirk on his face.

"Ugh, shut up! You can cook, just not that well! And it was just a..." she furrowed her dark eyebrows in concentration, searching for the right word, " _mishap_ with the oven. I fell asleep while letting the cupcakes cook."

Cole raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Sure, cutie." He walked into the kitchen. By the looks of it, Nya had already thrown the blackened cupcakes into the trash. Ingredients were scattered across the countertop. Cole eyed the bag of sugar, sure that it had been a brand new bag.

"How much sugar did you use?" He asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Um...three cups?" She answered, her hands fidgeting. Cole dropped the bag, eyes wide.

"Tsk, tsk. That's not even enough sugar, beautiful." He shook his head.

"But five cups is way too much for me!" Nya retorted, waved the towel frantically, then chucked it at his face.

"Well, well. Nya, dear, it seems you are in need of a baking lesson." He swatted the towel onto the floor.

Nya gaped. "You're in no place to teach me how to bake! Um, no offense."

"Don't worry, dollface. I may suck at the actual cooking part, but I know a recipe for some kick-ass cupcakes!" He went to the fridge, then grabbed two wrapped sticks of butter, unwrapping them, then placed them inside a microwaveable bowl. He placed that in the microwave, then set the timer for one minute. He turned back to Nya with an adorable smile on his face.

"Now, we get nine-thirty sevenths of a cup of salt." He fished out a different bowl from the counter, then poured the salt he had somehow managed to measure into it. Nya frowned again, confusion written all over her face. Then, he poured in an ether bottle of vanilla extract into the bowl, tossing the bottle over his shoulder in the general direction of the trash can. Finally, the ingredient-happy earth ninja poured an unnecessary amount of flour into the bowl, then threw a handful on Nya, who yelped in protest. Cole grabbed the melted butter and poured it into the mixture. After that, he decided to dump the rest of the sugar into the bowl as well. He grabbed two raw eggs, then cracked their shells, allowing the insides run out into the bowl. To top it all off, Cole dumped an entire bag of chocolate chips onto the pile of ingredients. He whisked it all together, then threw the whole bowl into the preheated oven.

Nya bit her lip as Cole turned to look at her. She still had some flour in her hair, he noticed.

"That totally wasn't a kick-ass recipe for cupcakes. I just wanted to see your reaction." He burst out laughing. "And it was all worth it!"

"You wasted so many ingredients!" She admonished, but couldn't hide the grin spreading across her lips. Before she could protest, he swept her into a kiss, rubbing more flour into her hair.

"Wait 'till the others see this." Nya whispered.

 **Welp. So.**

 **Tell me whatcha think.**


	17. 16-Needing Each Other

**WELP. So much for that double-update. Heh. Sorry about that.**

 **Anyway! I'M SO GLAD MY WRITING IS IMPROVING YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO HEAR THAT! WOOOO!**

It was definitely there, tugging at his heart, begging him to stand, to run, to do something other than lay down and feel sorry for himself. It kept nagging him at the back of his mind, crashing through the walls he kept putting up in front of those thoughts. It was determined to make him feel inferior, and he kept having to remind himself who was in control. Cole. Cole was in control. He was always in control, or, at least, he was supposed to be in control. He was the earth ninja, for overlord's sake! Control was kind of his thing. He would never have been picked to be leader of the team if he couldn't control himself and his keep his emotions in check. So why was this happening to him?

It was that damn emotion called love. Longing. And it wouldn't leave him alone when it came to Nya. Before he knew it, a tear escaped his tear duct and slipped down his chin. The bedsheets that he was currently wrapped in were lacking the usual body heat that would radiate off of Nya, who always slept beside him. Tonight, they felt colder than ice. Nya was away at some conference meeting, and wouldn't be home for two more days. And that fact alone was enough for that awful, hope-consuming despair to come crawling back through the pit of his gut and claw at his rib cage, tear at his heart, and make him attempt to pull out his hair out of sheer frustration. If there was one thing Cole hated, (other than snakes, of course) was feeling helpless, alone, and not being able to see the ones he loved when he wanted or needed to. It made him want to just implode and cry forever in a dark hole filled with cake, where no one would ever find him.

That sounded great right about now, if Cole was being honest.

He buried his face into his blankets, the lump in his throat growing. Overlord, never in his life had he needed someone so much! Choking back a sob, he rolled over and sniffed the empty, ruffled bedsheets beside him. Her scent was embedded into the sheets, and, greedily, he breathed the last remnants of her in. A sweet, happy smell that immediately relaxed his tense muscles. He missed every little thing about her, from her weird yet adorable obsession for organization to the little dimples in her cheeks that she hated so dearly. Never before had Cole realized how big of an imprint Nya had made in his life. He used to be able to sleep fine with the wooden ceiling fan whirring above him, but now, without Nya's gentle breaths beside him, sleep refused to come to him. Aching to hear his beloved water ninja inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, to hear her rustle around in the sheets in her slumber, and to hear her mumble in the middle of one of her dreams.

Absent-mindedly, the earth bender stood, lost in thought. His hands fiddled with the on and off switch on the lamp. He steadied himself with his free hand, which he set on the edge of the nightstand. His vision hadn't quite adjusted to the darkness yet, and what little he could see in the dark was spinning a little bit. He sat down, waited for the spell of dizziness to fade away, then he turned on the lamp, its light spilling out and illuminating the left half of the room. On the carpeted floor next to Cole and Nya's shared dresser lie Cole's favorite ninja gi: the DX gi. It lay in a crumbled, wrinkled heap. Cole recalled that he had pulled it off of him in a frustrated hurry earlier this evening. Nya wouldn't have it if she were here. Coles stood, his sock-covered feet hitting the carpet a little harder than he meant to. Walking over, he also noticed that Nya had left her desk in hurried and abnormal mess. Folding his DX gi into a pretty, unwrinkled square, he neatly placed it inside his portion of the dresser, then observed her desk. Papers were scattered all across the desk, some were on the floor, and others had unintentionally been thrown into a trash can. On them were sketches of bizarre machines whose functions were what Cole could only imagine, equations that seemed to be in another language to Cole that had complex work accompanying them and what Cole assumed was their solution, circled in red, and diagrams labelled with Overlord knows what.

Yes. This was Cole's Nya alright. He collected the papers one by one, taking his time to scan each and every one of them. He loved Nya's ideas; they were helpful, eccentric, and unique. It was amazing what she could come up with given a few pencils, a piece of paper, some good old-fashioned motivation, and an hour or so. He loved to see her concentrated expression as her pencil scribbled furiously on the paper, her hands and writing utensil translating the ideas her beautiful mind came up with onto paper. One sheet had a lengthy paragraph on it explaining the function of some combat machine. A soft, small smile appeared on Cole's lips. Her handwriting was absolutely adorable, but it definitely fit her personality. Her y's were looped on the ends, and their ends were dramatically extended for a centimeter or two. When she came across a word that had r and s consecutively, she would switch to cursive, making her the bottom of her r loop into a fancy-looking s.

He stacked all of the papers together and lined up the corners, making sure they were in a neat pile before setting them inside one of her drawers. He double checked to top of her desk to find a picture frame that had previously been hidden underneath all of that paper. He picked it up, a small tear spilling onto his cheek. The picture was one of him and Nya when they had taken a hike together. The hike had been long, almost three miles, if Cole recalled correctly, and it had been pretty hot out too, but neither factor stopped Cole or Nya from having one of the best hikes together ever. In the picture, Nya was wearing a dark red tank top, and dark blue running shorts. She had a backpack on her back, and sunglasses covering her eyes. Her dar hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Cole was beside her, in an orange t-shirt and dark black shorts. His arm was around Nya's waist, and she was pressed up against his chest, a ridiculous smile on her face. It had been an unforgettable hike for the both of them, and it still was fresh in Cole's memory.

Gently, he set the frame back down on the desktop, and straightened up all of the pencils scattered about the desktop. IN his peripheral vision, the red of the alarm clock caught his eye. It read twelve-thirty five in the morning. He let out a groan. Right beside his alarm clock was his phone, which was hooked up to a charger. Now matter how much he longed to call her, she was probably asleep. He didn't want to wake her up if that were the case. Yeah. She was asleep. Or maybe she was in the middle of designing a new machine for the conference. Or maybe-

He nearly jumped when his phone lit up and started ringing. He grinned a smile of relief; Nya's designated ringtone was playing. She was up. And she was apparently not too busy. Greedily, and eager to hear her voice, he answered the call and lifted the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered, unable to come up with an interesting or flirty line this early in the morning. He flopped onto his bed, lying on his back.

"Cole? D-did I wake you?" Something was wrong, and he picked up on it instantly. Her voice sounded strained and tired, and he swore he heard her sniffle a few times.

"What's wrong?!" He demanded, sitting upright, completely ignoring her question.

"I-I'm so sorry, Cole," she started, "I really screwed it up."

"What?" He asked, softening his tone a little.

"I...the technology company that requested me to visit so we could discuss working together? Um, we had the conference today, but...they don't like me." She sighed, and immediately Cole knew there was more to the story than that.

"Tell me what happened." So, they didn't like Nya, eh? Cole frowned, reminding himself he needed to be careful not to crush his phone again.

"So, they called me in. I got off of my flight, headed over there. Y'know. Then I went inside, and...ugh, I should've known. Anyway, there weren't a whole lot of women working there, and when I did see some, they were wearing skirts or dresses. So I go to the conference. I gave my presentation, and it went pretty well. A lot of the designers complimented me on my designs, actually, but then there was this one asshole. He was the vice president of the whole company. Before I go any further, I was wearing that really professional suit that I packed. So the vice president stopped me when I was about to pack up and head to the hotel, and he told me they wouldn't be working with me, because apparently women shouldn't be allowed to wear suits instead of skirts and dresses, and that I couldn't work with them."

Cole slammed his free hand onto the bed. "You know what, love? He was fucking jealous of your amazing inventions. Overlord, he can go suck his boss' dick."

Nya giggled on the other end. "I actually said that to him after he said all of that. Actually, I yelled it in front of his boss and stormed out."

Cole fist-pumped. His girlfriend was such a nerdy badass. He loved it. "That's my girl. Are you coming home soon?" He tried not to sound too hopeful, but probably ended up failing.

"Yeah. I'm about to get on the plane. I was going to surprise you, but...I really miss you, Cole." She sniffed, and he could tell she was about to start crying again. He suppressed a yell of relief, then thought for a second.

"When will your flight be back? I'll come pick you up!" He grinned, unable to wait.

"In an hour or so! I'll be at the Ninjago Airport, so...just...I miss you, Cole. My flight's boarding, so I'll let you go. I love you, my beautiful earthworm!"

He chuckled at his nickname. "Okay. I love you too, cutie. I'll be there."

...

(An Hour Later)

The night air was chilly around Nya as one of the flight attendants handed her her suitcase. She thanked him, and pulled up the handle on the top. She tugged on it, and it rolled behind her. She glanced up at the black sky. She could pick out a few constellations, but all of the light in the world was blocking out the good stuff. Damn humans. She remembered where she was, then she looked around as she jogged off of the runway and into the airport. She was nearly blinded by the light of the airport as she burst inside. She found herself on the second floor of the Ninjago Airport. Peering over the railing, she scanned the crowd until she spotted a certain earth ninja standing near the base of the escalator, a sign in his hand. It read 'Nya the Awesome Sauce Water Ninja' on it in black sharpie and in Cole's bulky handwriting. She laughed, then nearly sprinted towards the escalator. Cole spotted her, and an enormous smile erupted on his face as he saw his beloved water ninja descend on the escalator like an angel falling down from heaven. She jumped into his arms, and he pulled her into a tight and protective hug.

"Oh overlord, cutie!" He whispered after he kissed her, "Overlord. I missed you. I fucking missed you so much."

"I missed you too!" She responded, too happy to see her earthworm to worry about her disheveled plane hair. "Oh, I'm so glad to be home!"

He relaxed and pulled her somewhat upright. She grabbed his elbow with her free hand and yanked it towards the parking lot.

"We're gonna go get ice cream and I don't care what anyone says!" She declared.

"Let's do it." Cole agreed. Nya turned towards him, smiling.

"Done."


	18. 17- Washing Something - Part I

**I'M SICK OF BEING USELESS.**

 ***I really wanted the Ultra Dragon to be in this. :P Jay shows up, too. He may or not be a liiiiiittle jealous of Cole...but I wanted to throw in some drama cuz I don't think I've written a lot of it since...months ago, at least. And Cole and Nya aren't dating yet, but Cole's crushing on Nya. And maybe vice versa. ^u^ Plus some of you guys have been asking for drama. Welp, it might be a liiiitle bit cliché, but that's okay. Anyway...let's do this shit...**

 **One more thing: this one shot is going to have two parts to it. I've been leaving you guys hanging for long enough. Have a shitty chapter.**

 _Rumble_

 _Rumble_

Jay groaned as his stomach rumbled for the fifth time. Overlord, he was hungry, but the entire team was across the city, and Zane wasn't home to cook anything. There was nothing worth eating in the fridge or pantry, and Jay was growing hungrier by the minute.

Dammit, he needed food and he wanted it now, so he decided that he'd just run over to a diner or something and grab something there. He grabbed his wallet, then he decided that he'd just use the pizza place scooter. He needed to be discreet in the streets. Heh, he wouldn't want to get stalked by fangirls or anything. That's just weird, and, oddly enough, he's had it happen before.

When he walked out to the porch where Lloyd was trying to get an uncooperative Ultra Dragon to tend to his needs.

"C'mon, boy! Don't do this now! I have places I need to be!" The green clad ninja groaned as the Ultra Dragon in front of him just laid down on his belly and yawned, staring at Lloyd straight in the eye as he did so. Lloyd sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He needed to go meet Sensei Wu for a training session or something, and the only way he wouldn't be late would be if his dragon gave him a ride. Of course, on the day he actually needed a ride, his dragon was flat-out refusing to cooperate with his master. Lloyd groaned once more.

"Leave him alone for now, Lloyd. He's not really in the mood for flying. Don't worry, I'll give you a lift there, since I'm already headed out, and, besides, Cole said it was his turn to give him a bath today. What do you say?" Lloyd turned to see Jay striding out, hands tucked away in his pockets, red hair tousled and messy as per usual.

"Uh...okay. Yeah, that sounds great, actually. Thanks, Jay!" Lloyd said, turning his back on the uncooperative dragon.

"Cool. Let's ride." Jay said, and with that, the two ninja rushed outside.

...

Her room was silent, filled only with the scribbling of pencil on paper, and the frustrated grunts of Nya. Damn, she had been so excited about this new design, but there too many kinks to work out right now. Sitting here forcing herself to think wouldn't help, either. She stood, decided to take a break. She crept out of her room, then into the living room. None of the ninja were in here, and the kitchen seemed to be empty, too. They must out on missions.

Nya grunts again; it's too quiet. Ever since she moved in with the ninja, she'd grown used to their pointless and tireless bickering. It gradually became another ingredient to the mixture of Nya's life, and life wasn't as...interesting without the ninja here. Rarely did it get this quiet, and most of the times she cherished it. Today was not one of those days. She loved her dear ninja, and their bickering, yelling, and laughing always lightened her mood if it wasn't too much.

Her train of thought was broken when she swore she heard something. A voice, maybe? Yes. It's not talking, it's...humming. Nya shivered. It was a deliciously deep pitch, and it was originating from outside. Her curiosity inflamed, she crept over to the door, then gently pried it open.

She was met with a beautiful sight.

Cole. More specifically, a shirtless Cole. A Cole with a beautiful torso, and damn, was he a sight to behold: an eight pack of gorgeous abs, his long arms, whose muscles gently dipped and rose into elegant curves that shaped the muscles twitching under his tanned skin. Nya nearly fell over, feeling a bit light-headed. His back was no worse: she watched as he the muscles in his shoulder blade moved underneath his skin. She could make out the bumps in his spine. Sweat glistened on his tanned skin, making him seem shiny in the light.

Oh overlord. She might pass out.

Oh, not to mention his dark hair and mesmerizing green eyes. Nya inhaled sharply, scolding herself for swooning over a man who wasn't hers. That she wanted to be hers-

NOPE. She's going to bippity bobbity back that train of thought up and crush it. There we go, she could focus again. But, how could she not swoon at a heavenly sight like that...?

He seemed to be busy with something. Nya decided that she would help him once she pulled herself back together again. She turned from the corner, then sat down on the couch.

Cole was still an enigma to her. Even though he was the leader of the team, the two didn't get to speak often. He never really talked about his past, other than the Royal Blacksmith incident. Whenever they did, though, he had always been polite to Nya. She supposed she couldn't blame the guy for being so mysterious; after all, it was in his element.

And, if she was being honest with herself, his mysteriousness only made him seem sexier.

Ultimately, Nya thought, she was curious.

She stood, then stretched a little. Well, here goes nothing.

Cole turned to meet her when he heard her feet lightly tapping against the floor. A grin broke out onto his face.

"Hey, Nya!" He greeted, grabbing his black shirt from where it had been hanging on the railing.

"Hey!" She responded, arms folded across her chest. "What are you up to?"

"I'm about to give the Ultra Dragon his weekly bath." He sighed. "Or, at least attempt to. What about you?"

She shrugged. "I was working on some blueprints, but I couldn't really think of anything. Uh...do you mind if I help?"

This woman was too cute. Her hair was a little frizzy and crazy, which Cole found fitting for her. "No, I don't mind. How did Kai go about this last time? I'm not exactly sure where to start." He unfolded his shirt, then pulled it over his head. Nya felt disappointed and relieved at the same time.

"I think he flew him over to a lake or pond and forced him to jump in. I guess it's not exactly clean, but it beats having to hose him down yourself. It gets most of the dirt off of his scales, anyway, and it saves a lot of time, too. Then. Kai said he just ran over the scales with a wash cloth where there were areas with more noticeable dirt than others." She shrugged again, her arms folding across her chest.

"Hmm...okay. I guess our first step is finding a suitable body of water." Cole pursed his lips, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Any thoughts on locations?"

Nya cocked her head slightly, in thought. "Um. No." She said.

He kind of wrinkled his nose, making Nya want to scream. Why is this man so handsome?!

"I guess we could try the ocean, I mean, I doubt we could make him take a dip in someone's pool or something. Sound okay?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Cool. I guess we should get going, then." She helped him load the necessary tools for washing a dragon into a large bag, which they both managed to tie onto the Ultra Dragon's back with both a little teamwork and some begging for the dragon to just cooperate. Nevertheless, they managed to load the bag onto the dragon.

"Okay. I think that's about it." Cole said. The Ultra Dragon grunted when Cole climbed onto his back. Nya started up after the Earth ninja.

The Ultra Dragon jerked suddenly, making Nya lose her balance, her hands torn from their grip on the reigns. She nearly fell off before Cole grabbed her arm, then helped her up.

"You okay?" He asked, pulling her up onto the seat behind him.

Nya huffed, smacking the moody dragon on his back. The dragon only grunted in response. She groaned. "Yeah, um, thanks, Cole." She said, her cheeks already warming up. She chose to glance down at the seat.

"Heh...no problem, Nya." He turned to face the head of the dragon. "Quit it...c'mon, we don't want to do this either. It'll go faster if you just cooperate." Nya turned her head to the side; she would not focus on what was underneath his shirt. She repeated that mantra until he finished his argument with the Ultra Dragon.

"Fine." Cole turned to Nya. "I think he sees our point."

She giggled. "Whatever you say, Cole."

"What, you think I'm making this up?" He asked, trying and failing to hide his smile.

"Well, you are talking to a dragon." She shrugged.

He shook his head. "Dragons have feelings too, you know."

"Maybe so. It still doesn't change the fact that you're talking to a dragon." She countered.

Cole sighed. "That doesn't change the fact that dragons have feelings." The Ultra Dragon huffed in response. "See? He's not your friend anymore." He turned his head back around, and she got a whiff of his very earthy-smelling hair.

There was something extremely immature and playful in his deep voice. She smirked. "I'm not your friend anymore either."

Cole snorted. "Fine. Be that way."

She laughed, and without warning, the Ultra Dragon took off into the air, his powerful wings beating into a rhythm that helped launch the dragon's body into the air. Nya squeaked in surprise as Cole took hold of the reigns, her arms instinctively tightening around his torso, burying her head into his shoulder blade. She huffed as she felt his shoulders shake with mirth.

"Dammit, Cole! You could've at least given me some warning!" She yelled, headbutting his shoulder a little. His laughter only grew as they soared through the sky.

It was quiet for a few more minutes. Nya sensed Cole's shoulder tense a little as the trio accelerated, and they went higher up into the sky. Nya wasn't sure if it was because he was just really focused or if something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" She asked after a few minutes, putting her chin on the crook of his left shoulder before her mind could catch up.

"...Yeah. Just...thinking." He said, his voice nearly carried away in the whipping of winds flying past them.

Nya couldn't help but be curious. This was a rare chance to see what he was thinking about! But...wouldn't that be weird to him, if she were to ask him? Then again, she was only trying to be a good friend...

Okay, there's a perfect excuse.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked her chin nuzzled the earth ninja's neck. Overlord, he was so damn warm! Even with the chilly air blowing past them, he was still a ball of heat.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" His tone was half teasing and half serious.

"I would like to. You're the mysterious earth ninja, and no one ever gets to hear your thoughts." She bit her lip before continuing, "I want to know what you're thinking. Your opinion matters too, you know."

He paused, and she could tell she had gotten through to him by the way his hands were fidgeting on the reigns. It wasn't even fidgeting, it was more of squeezing the reigns until his knuckles were nearly white.

She hesitated before sighing. "I'm sorry for prying."

"Don't be. You're just curious. I...don't blame you." He responded, then added: "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

Ooh, he was actually going to tell her!

She almost teased him, but didn't when she reminded herself that he was...naturally mysterious. "I promise."

He inhaled, his shoulders tensing again. Nya forced her focus back onto the ninja.

"I'm...really afraid of heights." He murmured. Yep, now he was fidgeting: his thumbs were twiddling together.

Nya...wasn't surprised by that. "That's okay. I mean, it makes sense. You're the earth ninja, it makes sense that you prefer ground over heights."

"Heh. I guess you're right." He said.

"Does anyone else know?" She asked.

"Sensei Wu, but he was like you. He understands." He answered. "I think we're almost there."

"Okay. Do we get off and then dunk him, or do we-" She was cut off when the Ultra Dragon suddenly stopped on a dime, then dove towards...

...the ocean.

"NO!" Cole yelled, desperately pulling up on the reigns. Nya squeezed him a little tighter, and she could feel the dragon's stupid as hell smirk as they descended rapidly. "SHIT!"

And then they hit the water. Nya was yanked from Cole, and was thrown into the water. She submerged, and sunk. Her eyes adjusted to the water, and all she could make out was the bubbles from their splash. She began to kick upwards, using her arms to pull herself upwards. When she broke the water, she gulped in air.

The dragon was on the shore of the beach. There were a few people standing there, most in swimsuits, gaping at the creature in front of them.

"Cole?!" She yelled. She began treading water, and twirled around.

His head popped up a few seconds later. He came up coughing and sputtering.

"SHIT! I'M GOING TO END THAT DRAGON!" He yelled through gasps, his head angrily swiveling around to meet the dragon's gaze. He only stared at the struggling duo as they treaded water.

"You okay?" She asked.

He nodded. "I'm done with this dragon!"

Even better, the Ultra Dragon began flying again.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Nya screeched, holding a threatening fist up to the sky. The four-headed dragon huffed, then flew away.

The two swam to shore, where a few of the people there had their phones out, recording everything. They groaned, then plopped onto shore.

"I hate that dragon." Cole muttered, lying down on his back. Nya copied his position, their arms bumping against each other.

"Ditto." Nya responded. Cole sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Let me guess, we had our phones and the map inside the bag we tied to him?" He said.

Nya nodded. "Yup. I swear to the overlord, the next time I see that dragon, he's dead."

"Lloyd wouldn't like that."

"Lloyd can go-" she was cut off by a stranger before she could finish her thought.

"Are you two okay?" Asked one of the citizens, a tall man.

They nodded. "Yeah. We just...our stupid dragon abandoned us."

The man, along with all of the other people, were trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry, ninja...it's just..."

"Go ahead and laugh all you want!" Nya snapped, sitting up. That was it for the people and they burst out laughing.

"You have a little sand on your back." Cole said, pulling himself upright.

"Look who's talking." His entire outfit was soaked, and his back was coated with sand, black hair droopy and dripping.

Nya chuckled. "Overlord..."

He shook his head, his wet hair flopping all over the place. "What now?"

"I guess we just..." Nya groaned. "I don't know!"

"We don't have a phone. No dragon. No money." He slapped himself in the face. "What now?"

 **[End Part 1]**

 **Jay comes back later :3**

 **And yes. Lloyd and Jay rode on Jay's pizza scooter. I don't know why, but that's freaking hilarious to me XD**

 **More to come~ Oh! Legion of Renegades is up! Er, at least the prologue is! It's CoNya tooooo!**

 **Also.**

 **Friendly Reminder: If you're going to correct me and be wrong about it, please use proper grammar. :) Have a good day/night!**


	19. Washing Something - Part II

**Okay, this is turning out to be waaay longer than I anticipated, so I guess this is gonna be a three parter now (?)**

"Um, excuse me, ma'am? Do you have a cell phone we could borrow?" Nya asked a woman who was trying to get a good tan. She shifted onto her stomach, giving the couple a confused glance before nodding and reaching into her purse, digging around before pulling out her phone, unlocking it and handing it to Nya.

"Thank you!" Nya said, dialing her brother's number. Cole waited patiently beside her.

"Shit, he's not picking up!" She cursed, handing the phone back to the woman after thanking her again.

Cole chuckled. "I approve of cussing Nya."

She rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Whatever."

Cole groaned, then turned back to the lady. "Where exactly in Ninjago are we? I mean, we couldn't have gotten too far...right?"

Nya shrugged. The lady responded with: "Downtown Ninjago."

Cole huffed. "That's a few hours away from home! And that was with some kind of transportation!" He cried, throwing his hands up in the air.

Nya groaned again, running her hands through her wet and tangled hair. Both of them still had mounds of sand stuck on their backs, and were soaking wet.

"What do we do?!" Cole asked. "I doubt a stranger would let us hitch a ride...and we have no money..."

"Hey, calm down! We can do this. I say our first step will be to find a map and see where we are."

"Dry clothes would be nice." Cole muttered.

"I know, but we don't exactly have any money!" Nya countered.

"You're right." Cole sighed. "What do we do?"

"I say we find a map. Isn't Dareth's dojo downtown?" Nya asked.

"Yeah, but who knows how far away it is!" Cole said.

Nya sighed. "I'm gonna kill that damn dragon..."

"I'll help you." He replied bitterly. Then, he remembered something. "Wait! Didn't Sensei Wu make an emergency bank account in case of situations like these?"

"Yeah, but I doubt there's much money left. We spent the majority of it trying to pay off rent..." She said. "But I guess there's no harm in checking."

Cole nodded. "Okay. Maybe there's enough for a payphone? Or maybe a taxi?"

Nya shrugged. "I guess we should-"

"Excuse me!" The two turned to see a man approaching them. He was tall, but not taller than Cole, and he was wearing a pair of swim trunks. He appeared to be in his twenties or so. "Hello. I couldn't help but notice you two got ditched by your dragon."

The two nodded in unison. "Yep."

"Is there any way my wife and I could help? We really appreciate everything the ninja have done for us, and I don't think it'd be fair if you two were to go about this situation alone after everything you've done for us."

The two glanced at each other. Before either could say anything, a woman rushed up beside the man.

"It looks like you two could use a change of clothes." She turned to the man. "We could give them our coverups."

Before either could say anything, the man had nodded. "We could give you our coverups, if you wanted. The size'll be a gamble, but I guess it'd be better than what you have on now. And don't worry about us, we live close to here. What do you say?"

The pair looked at each other, both wanting to decline out of kindness. But they both knew they needed something dry, at least.

"Um...are you sure? We don't want to be a burden." Nya said, her voice small.

"You bet we are! You two aren't a burden to use! Do you know how many you've saved?! If anything, we should be the ones worrying about being burdens!" The man said. "Now please, follow us!"

The woman gave Nya an olive green sweatshirt and a pair of spandex shorts, while the man gave Cole a plain white shirt and a pair of dark khaki shorts.

"Thank you!" Nya said. "Could we have your first and last names, please?" She asked.

"Louisa and Jack Jones!" The man replied, wrapping his arm around his wife.

"Thank you for your help!" Cole said.

"You're welcome. Do you need to use a cell phone?" The woman offered.

"Oh, um, yes, if you don't mind." Cole responded. He took the unlocked phone, then turned to Nya. "You go change, and I'll try to get a hold of one of the others."

She nodded, then scampered off. He dialed Kai's number, but he didn't pick up again. He tried Jay and Lloyd, but it was a similar situation there, too. He tried Zane.

"Hello?" Zane said.

"Oh, thank overlord you picked up!" Cole said, sighing in relief.

"Cole? What is wrong? Why are calling from an unknown number?"

"The Ultra Dragon ditched us at a beach, and we're trying to get back home, but we're pretty far away. Is there any chance you or the others could pick us up?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm in the middle of my mission. Where are you two?"

"Downtown." He responded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay. If you want, I can call Dareth and let him know you two are on your way."

"That'd be great. Thanks, buddy." Cole said.

"It is no problem, brother. I will let the others know that you might be a little late."

"Okay, Zane. Thanks again. I'll see ya later."

"Goodbye." With that, Cole ended the call and handed the phone back to the woman.

"Thank you two, what you've done means a lot to us. We won't forget it." Cole said.

"Don't mention it." The man said. "Do you two need a ride or anything else?"

Cole shook his head. He would not accept more than what he had already been given! "No thank you, you've already done enough."

"If you say so. Just let us know, and we'll be happy to help you!" The man asked.

"Uh...actually, is there anywhere around here where I could get a map?"

…

The couple directed Cole to the beach's gift shop, where Cole managed to convince the manager to print him a paper copy of the map of downtown Ninjago. He thanked the couple and the manager again, and they were off.

Nya emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, discarding her old clothes in the trash. She was a blushing mess, the sweater too big for her.

But the shorts?

They were just right, sitting on her hips at the perfect angle, fitting her sleek figure perfectly, running about five inches down her thighs...

He was snapped out of his thoughts when she anxiously tugged the sweater down. He scolded himself for thinking about something so inappropriate, and forced himself to quit staring. She met his gaze, and her face got even redder.

"Um...are you going to change?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Here's a map, by the way." She took it from him and he went to the men's room.

The shirt was a tight fit, like the shorts, and he looked really stupid when he looked at himself. He shook his head. It was better than the sandy and wet outfit, though. He sighed. Well, he'd been in worse situations before.

Nya was staring at the map, her back towards him. His eyes roamed over her bare calves, up to the back of her thighs, and then up...overlord, that woman had a nice ass. He realized what he was thinking, and nearly slapped himself for it.

"Hey. You ready to go?" He asked, walking up to her.

Her eyes darted over his figure a few times. "Uh...yeah." She said. "Let's go. So I was able to find a route that would lead to Dareth's dojo. We'll need to take this road, turn left here..." She continued giving him directions, and he nodded.

"That's a long way to walk." He said.

"Yeah...so, should check in with the bank account? There might be enough for a taxi to drive us a few miles, if we're lucky."

He nodded. "Wouldn't hurt."

"Okay, so the nearest bank is here." She pointed at the icon symbolized for bank. It would take them a little bit off course, but if there was a decent amount of money in it, then it'd be worth it.

"Alright. Let's get to it, then." Cole said, and the two set off into the streets of downtown Ninjago.

…

Nya kept tugging down the bottom of her sweater. Cole suspected it was because she wasn't comfortable in the shorts. After all, she never showed more than her ankles when she had access to her entire wardrobe. Cole didn't blame her, but he wished there could be another option...

He hoped to the overlord that there was a decent amount of money in their emergency bank account. Even if there wasn't enough for a taxi, they could at least grab something to eat and buy something a little less revealing for Nya to wear. He held onto that thin string of hope as the couple continued down the sidewalk.

One thing he hated about downtown was that it was fucking crowded. He didn't like crowds, and it made it harder for him to hold onto that thin string.

It'd be getting dark in a few hours, and it looked like luck was not going to be on their side today. Nya kept glancing down at the map every few minutes to make sure they were still on-course.

They were silent for a while, until they finally reached the bank. Nya sighed in relief.

"Finally! We're here!" Cole said.

Nya was silent, then she said: "It wasn't any use..."

Cole saw the "Closed" sign hanging on the door, seeming to mock them, before he could ask her what she meant.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..." Cole said.

"Maybe the ATM is still open?" She asked, trying to sound hopeful.

"Yeah, but we don't have the card!" Cole said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Nya groaned. "You're right."

"So, I guess we're just gonna have to walk." Cole said.

"Well, that was a great waste of time!" Nya said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"C'mon, don't be like that. I get that you're frustrated. So am I. But, we still have our map, at least..." He said, gesturing to the map.

She sighed again. "Yeah. Let's just get going." She walked in front of him, and he followed her. They fell quiet again as they fell into step, side by side. Nya resumed checking the map occasionally, while Cole kept his head high.

"Let's turn right up here..." She said, looking up.

"Okay." He responded.

Nya sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that earlier. I'm just frustrated."

He smiled at her. "It's okay. I'm frustrated too. We just have to keep walking. It'll take a while, but we'll get home." He said.

She offered him a small smile. "We will."

They fell into companionable silence, until Cole caught a few teenage boys staring at Nya. He instantly scowled at them, then took her hand.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking up at him. She turned to see what he was glaring at, then turned back to him, her face burning.

"Let's get out of here." He mumbled, catching one of the teenager's eyes. He didn't break eye contact as the teenager shot Nya one last, longing glance, but then turned away. Cole kept glancing back every now and then as the two continued walking.

Nya gave his hand a squeeze, and didn't pull away. He felt his cheeks heat up.

"S-sor-"

"Thank you." She mumbled, leaning into his side. "I don't feel like kicking a pervert's ass right now."

He chuckled. "No problem." After a few minutes of her leaning into his side, he gathered enough courage to put his arm around her and pull her close.

She hummed. "You smell nice."

He flushed red. "Um...thanks...?" He felt her chuckle into the crook of his shoulder.

"Like the earth. Windblown trees." She muttered, squeezing his hand again.

It was his turn to chuckle as they continued walking down the street.

 **Part 3 will be out soon!**


	20. Washing Something - Part III

**Ahhhhh here you go. I got a sudden surge of motivation!**

 **[Part 3]**

They weren't sure how long they'd been wandering. It'd been a while.

"Where are we?" Nya asked. The sun was beginning to set, and Cole was beginning to get even more frustrated than he already was. On the bright side, however, it was getting less crowded.

"I think we're...almost halfway. We'll need to take a turn here, continue straight for a while, go there..." He sighed.

"Let's sit down for a minute. We've been walking for hours." She urged, pulling him down with her on the edge of the sidewalk.

"Yeah." He muttered, joining her on the sidewalk. He could tell she was getting cold from the way she was trying not to shiver. He pulled her close. "We'll be home soon." He muttered into her dark, crusty hair.

"I know, it just seems like it's going to take forever." She responded, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Cole's rough, dry, and cracked fingertips sift through her hair.

Another five minutes passed when Cole stood up, offering Nya his hand. Wordlessly, she took it, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Well, halfway is farther than we were a few minutes ago, isn't it?" She said, another one of her smiles lighting up her face again.

"You have a point. Let us continue our...epic quest throughout the city." He replied as they began to pick up pace again.

"Epic quest. Hah." She huffed, jogging a little bit to catch up with the long-legged earthbender.

After an uncountable amount of even more right, left, straight, and confusing turns, more awkward and small-talk filled silences, and finally, more frustration-filled rants and soothing, finally, after what had seemed like centuries-

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see that sign." Nya admitted, and with Cole in tow, they burst into the dojo.

A small group of students, all decked out in martial arts gear, were mimicking the stance of Dareth himself, who stood at the front of the classroom, his left leg raised, knee bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle, arms bent, too, in an upside-down L shape. He had some kind of scowl on his face.

"Now, youngsters, allow me, the Brown Ninja, to guide you in this epic stance. I call it The Flamingo! Invented by myself, it allows the...user to strike a graceful fear in their foes' soul! HOOOOOWAAHH-"

The bell to the entrance rang above the two ninja's heads, announcing their arrival. Dareth paused, dropped his stance, and then he turned to face the two.

"Well, if it isn't two of the ninja!" He announced as several small head whipped towards the two ninja. Faces lit up, smiles crossed faces, and murmurs crossed the phone.

"Um...hey Dareth." Nya said as the two crossed the room.

"Wazzup, little lady? Say, Zane called earlier and said to keep an eye out for you two. Said one of the others are gonna swing by and pick you up."

The two let out a huff of laughter that was filled with more relief than it was humor. "Yeah, he told us that he'd call you." Cole responded.

"Well, then. You two look like you could use a break. Come on in!"

…

"...What the hell happened to you two?" Came Kai's voice when he opened the door to reveal Zane, Cole, and Nya. "The Ultra Dragon came back with no rider."

"He ditched us and dumped us in the ocean!" Nya yelled, then stomped in the apartment. Cole followed suit, Zane bringing up the rear and closing the door.

"Where is that dragon?!" Cole snapped.

"He flew away with Lloyd somewhere." Kai shook his head. "You guys were gone for a while. It's nearing midnight!"

"I know, I know." Nya groaned. "I don't know about you, big guy, but I'm glad to be home." She whacked Cole in the chest playfully.

He huffed. "I am too. Now. I want a shower and food."

"Sis?" Kai asked, suspicion nagging his voice.

"What?" She snapped, turning towards him.

"Why are you wearing those shorts?!" He asked, glaring accusingly at Cole.

"We'll explain after we're clean, fed, and clothed in clothes that actually fit!" She shouted from the hallway.

…

After her skin had been scrubbed raw, her hair washed until it was squeaky when she rubbed, and after her face had been freed of all the dirt and grime that covered it, Nya emerged from her bedroom, now in a red hoodie with a pair of blue sweatpants. Her short hair tied back in a loose bun, her sock-enveloped feet padded out into the living room, where the other ninja were gathered.

Jay and Lloyd stood near the TV, chattering about some video game, Kai was busy interrogating Cole, and Zane was standing near Sensei Wu, the two talking amongst themselves. A delicious, greasy smell drifted through the air, making Nya's stomach growl.

"Food!" Nya yelled, in no mood for delay.

Jay stood, then walked over to the grumpy woman. "I brought home some pizza." He gestured to the table. Nya stomped toward it, but Jay stood in front of her. "One slice costs one hug."

"I hate you." She mumbled as she gave him a quick, short-lived hug that lasted about a second or so. Shoving him aside, she muttered some choice words under her breath as she made her way to the pizza.

"I already explained to them what happened." Cole replied.

She gave a huff of approvement as she tore into a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Cole chuckled. "Happy, Kai?"

"So. The dragon ditched you guys, and you were soaking wet and covered in sand, so two strangers approached you two and asked you if you need clothes, then..." Kai proceeded to describe the story Cole had shared.

"Yeah, pretty much." She said, taking another slice of pizza out of the box.

"We are glad you two made it home safely." Zane responded.

"Thank you, Zane." Nya responded. She could never be grumpy around the precious nindroid.

"Yeah, thanks. And Jay, thank you for bringing pizza." Cole responded, gesturing to the empty box of cheese that he had knocked out all on his own.

"No problem." Jay mumbled.

Nya stood, three slices consumed in less than five minutes. "I'm going to sleep. Night, everyone."

"Goodnight, cutie." Cole said, the nickname slipping before he realized it.

"Night earthworm." She hugged the other three goodnight before walking away.

"...Cutie?!" Jay asked.

Cole only shrugged. "What? It fits her. Especially when she's angry."

Kai shook his head. "Whatever, man. I don't wanna hear about it."

 **Eh, a crappy and rushed ending, but meh.**

 **Sorry this update took so long! I have family coming over today!**

 **You guys are the best!**


	21. 18- One is Sick

**I'm GoNnA fiNiSH tHiS cHaLlEnGe BeForE i dIe-**

 **Here, have a shitty chapter**

 **Thank you for your support! I reached 80 reviews, and nearly 5k hits! That's freaking insane, and I owe that to you all ;u; thank you! That's all I can say. ;u;**

The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't warm up.

He tried many possible solutions, but not one of them worked. He buried himself under a pile of blankets, got Kai to make a fire in the room without having it spread across the entire building...but nothing worked. He was still shivering.

He got weak pretty fast, though, and Nya seemed to notice it.

"I think you're getting sick, love," she said, the worry evident in her eyes as she sat down beside him.

"Nah, it's probably just a cold," he replied, wiping his nose with a tissue, which he threw into the trash can that was already overflowing with dirty tissues.

"No, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning. You're staying home today," she said, then went to make him some tea.

He sighed, his head hitting the headboard of the bed. He hated being sick.

…

The next day, his cough grew worse and his throat became sore, thus resulting Nya refused to let him out of bed.

"Nya, I'm okay, re-"

"You aren't okay," she replied, her boss mode turned on. She gently pushed him back on his bed, then brought her forearm to his forehead. "You've a fever, love."

The earthbender groaned, "Ugh, this sucks!"

She sighed, then said, "I'll make you more tea."

Soon, Cole's throat grew even sorer, and his muscles began aching. Nya came in and out, usually to bring him tea or soup, but she kept him company, too.

"Even though I'm sick, there's one upside to this," he said, his voice quiet.

She raised an eyebrow. "What? You get to spend more time with me?"

Smirking, the earth ninja responded, "Obviously. I mean, I was going to say that I get to skip training,"

"At the cost of being miserable," she pointed out after smacking his aching arm.

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes, but the small smile on his face never faded. "I wish we could cuddle,"

"I know, so do I," she replied, "go to sleep, love. I'm going to go get some supplies,"

…

(A Few Months Later)

Achoo!

The chatter amongst the table stopped in an instant, all noises of dinner subsiding as the ninja turned to face the owner of the adorable, high-pitched sneeze.

"What?" Nya asked, wiping her nose with a tissue she'd stuffed in her pocket earlier that day.

"Oh. My. Overlord!" Cole squealed, suddenly in fangirl mode. "That is the cutest sneeze I've ever heard!"

"Shut up!" Nya growled, throwing a strawberry that had roamed astray on her plate at him.

"See, not only is this woman short," Cole continued, catching the berry midair and popping it in his mouth, "she's also angry. You know what angry plus short plus adorable equals?"

"Cole, I swear to the overlord-"

"Nya!" he said.

After dinner, it was Cole and Nya's turn to do the dishes. For the most part, it was quiet, with the occasional question or throwing of bubbles. Cole began to get antsy after a few minutes; she wasn't usually this quiet.

Achoo!

Cole laughed when her eyelids squeezed shut when she sneezed; the expression on her face was too precious. He did, however, noticed her nose was red. Hm, had she been sneezing all day?

"Don't look at me like that," the waterbender said, turning away from him.

"Aw, don't be like that. I won't tease you this time," he promised, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him.

Achoo!

He sighed, sniffing her hair.

"Please quit sniffing me," she said. She sounded awfully tired...

"Are you feeling okay?" he questioned, bringing his left arm up to her forehead. "Sweetie, you're burning up,"

"I'm fine," she replied, pulling away from him. Yeah, he could tell she was lying from all of the signs adding up. He quickly sidestepped her, blocking the exit of the kitchen with his bulky frame.

"Nuh-uh," he said.

"Yuh-huh. Please, move,"

"You're going to lay down," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards her room.

"But I have stuff to do! It's just a fever, Cole," she pleaded, trying and failing to yank her wrist out of his grasp.

"Come on, and quit struggling," he said, pulling her into her room and closing the door behind him.

He shrugged off his dark hoodie as she went to lay down, tossing it on the foot of her bed. Snatching up the rejected article of clothing, she pulled it on, then slipped her shorts off, wiggling under the covers. She paused when he climbed in beside her.

"No! You're going to get sick, too!" she said, trying to push him off.

The shirtless ninja only smirked. "Well, worse-case scenario, I get sick too, and we watch cheesy horror movies together while feeling miserable. Not to mention that we'd have a free excuse to skip training,"

"You're awful," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Eh. I know you like it," he joked, pulling the feverish water ninja into his side.

She muttered something under her breath that sounded somewhat like: "I hate you".

"Whatever," Cole said, "I still love you, and we're still watching shitty horror movies together,"

 **You know you've been studying Latin too long when you start making Latin puns when you HICcup. *giggles* O.o I nEeD cOfFeE-**

 **Edit 11/9/17 at 2:57 PM- So. I'm sitting in Latin class right now. I just finished my Latin exam. Don't know how that turned out. But, I just want to let ya'll know what's up: first off, I'm not sure when my other Ninjago stories'll be updated; I've been having writer's block/lack of interest lately. I'm going to rewatch the first few seasons, so hopefully I'll be able to get back into the groove soon.**

 **Thank you for reading, and see you weirdos later!**


	22. 19- Spoiling One Another

Spoiling the Other

"Nyyyyyyyyy-aaaaaaaaa,"

"Mmmhdtgs."

"Wake up, sleeping beauty."

"Nu."

The earth ninja burst out laughing, which proved to be a much more effective maneuver than gently shaking her. Nya's crusty eyelids cracked open slowly, the exhausted water ninja moaning softly.

She sniffed, breathing in the strangely-scented air. She crinkled her nose, a movement that made Cole laugh. She frowned upon hearing it directed at her.

"Cole?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"...did something die?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

She rubbed her eyes, causing Cole to giggle. Her soft face wrinkled up as her small fist rubbed the grogginess away. Short, black locks of her silky-smooth hair lay in tangled heaps upon her head. He plopped down beside her, then attempted to rake his hand through her knotty hair.

"Did Jay accidentally cause an explosion involving sulfur?" she questioned, gazing up at the earthbender with a tired expression.

"Even better," Cole replied, a smirk forming on his lips, "I made you breakfast in bed!"

Oh.

So that's what was smelling so bad.

Nya somehow managed to conceal the oncoming horror arising on her pretty features. His eyes were so full of excitement and love. She knew he was always trying his best to give her little surprises.

…there was no way she'd be able to deny that.

"You did?"

"Yep! And, if you're worried about it being bad, then do not fret, my love, because I used Zane's recipe."

Cole was very...passionate about his culinary performance, Nya knew. She loved the man to death, but couldn't stand his cooking.

"Why don't you join me, Cole-kun? We could watch a cheesy horror movie on Netflix," she offered. Maybe she could at least distract him from her face so he wouldn't have to see her face melt into despair when she tasted his food.

"Okay. But we can't stay in bed too long, 'cause I'm taking you to the mall afterwards," he announced, setting the tray he'd placed on the nightstand on her lap. She plastered a fake smile on her face as she adjusted the tray to a comfy position.

"Thank you, dear," she said, pressing a chaste kiss to his warm cheek.

"You're welcome," he responded with a cool smile.

"Let us begin," she announced, stretching to reach the remote while trying not to knock over the tray. When she grabbed it, she instructed Cole to get the movie set up while she started eating. Picking off the cling wrap that was sticking to...whatever was underneath, she tossed it aside.

A piece of innocent cake.

She eyed it hesitantly. He did say he used Zane's recipe? She trusted Cole enough to follow simple instructions.

For the most part.

Sighing and preparing herself for the worst, she picked up the silver fork and stabbed at the cake, tearing off a chunk, and then putting the fork in her mouth.

It was...pretty damn good, surprisingly.

Maybe the guy was just better at baking than actually cooking?

...the thought made Nya giggle as she turned to her earthworm. Overlord, he was so cute in the morning! She loved his tousled hair and big eyes. The combination made him look young, and she loved it.

"What are you giggling at?" Cole questioned, turning away from the screen and raising one of his adorably bushy eyebrows at her.

That made Nya laugh harder. "Oh, nothing, love. I just love you."

His smirk turned into a fully-fledged smile. "Love you too, cutie."

She continued chewing her cake curled up with the earth ninja, occasionally giving him pieces of her cake, too.

"Hello?" the stereotypical blondie in the movie called out.

"Aaaand she's dead," Cole snorted.

"Is anyone there?" she continued, peeking out from around the corner.

"Of course she is," Nya said.

The two laughed as the serial killer popped out from the room the blonde heard the noise in, and continued to stab her repeatedly. The guy laughed maniacally as the life faded from her eyes.

"Wow," Cole said, neither amused nor scared.

"Heeeeey," Nya said, placing the tray on the nightstand and throwing herself a little too dramatically onto Cole's lap.

Cole looked down at her, then poked her in the side. "What do you want, weirdo?"

"Are we going to go to the mall?" she asked, rolling onto her back.

"If you're finished, then sure. Be ready in ten minutes," he said, placing his hands under her arms and pulling her up.

"Noooo," she groaned.

"I thought you said you wanted to go to the mall."

"...Maybe I changed my mind."

"In the course of three seconds?"

"Yeah."

"You're weird," Cole stated, pulling the water ninja to his chest. He chuckled as she huffed.

"You've told me," she retorted, trying to pull away.

"Why are you fighting me? I have super strength," Cole reminds her, tightening his hold on her.

"Weweafe me, peafant!" she declared, but Cole was squeezing her head at such an angle that it made her cheeks smoosh together, causing Cole to burst out laughing, instantly loosening his hold on her.

"Stop laughing! It wasn't that funny!" she yelled, stomping into her bathroom.

"Yes it was," Cole responded, sliding off of her bed, "ten minutes, Smith!"

…

"No! Have you seen the price on that thing?!"

"Yes. You said you like it! Just let me buy it for you!" Cole said, turning away from the defiant waterbender.

"Cooooooole!" Nya whined, trying in vain to snatch the video game out of his grasp.

"Nope. C'mon, Nya," he said, giving the case a shake, "you know you want it."

She went silent for second. "I don't need it, though."

"Mm-hmm." He walked up to the clerk waiting behind the counter. "I'll take this," he said, plopping the disc's pack onto the counter and snagging two chocolate bars from the little display shelf next to the check-out counter.

"You're no fair," Nya pouted as he handed her the bag.

"Uh, last time I checked, I'm totally fair," he replied as she tied the bag closed.

"Well," she sighed, leaning into his side, "thank you anyways."

…

You're nothing to us.

"NO! WAIT! KAI! AAAH!"

Whisking her away, without a trace of her existence...

Darkness, everlasting, consuming her whole...

…...

Falling to overlord knows where. Plummeting into an infinite abyss of dark matter, where she, the master of water, lost herself to an unknown force much stronger than any of them had anticipated.

Unable to control her movements. Hurting the ones she loved.

Over

And over

And over

Again.

Nya jolted awake in her bed, prepared for something she'd been more than willing to take on for months now.

Something that was long gone.

Groaning, she rubbed her face. She probably just needed some cold water. Maybe she should wash her face with freezing water, too, that always seemed to help.

It was always the same nightmare: the one where she lost control of her body to dark matter.

She swung her legs over the edge of her bed, then stood up. Of the time she'd spent fighting alongside the ninja, the battles she'd won, that was really the only nightmare she kept on reliving. Losing control of her body was something she'd never predict coming her way, ever. Yet it had happened. Quickly, too.

Splashing cold water on her face, she sighed at the feeling. Cold water always shook her out of that dream world, remind her of her element and that she was home with her beloved ninja.

Coming from outside her room, Nya paused after she finished wiping off her face. Footsteps? Who would be up at this hour; the ninja (with the exception of Zane) all cherished the little sleep they got.

She cautiously crept over to her door, then peeked underneath.

A pair of feet.

Raising herself back up, she opened the door.

"Overlord!"

"Cole," Nya breathed, for some reason feeling relieved.

"Oh...uh...hey, love. I just...um, I was going to put these outside your door since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, but you kinda caught me. Wait, what are you doing up, anyway?" the earthbender asked, holding a bouquet of flowers holding five or six sticks with Nya's favorite kind of candy taped onto them.

"Oh, for me? Thank you," she said, her voice soft as she took the vase from him. "do you want to come in?"

"Sure," he replied, walking in when she stepped aside for him. Closing the door, she placed the little vase on her desk.

"It's pretty. Thank you so much!" she gushed.

"You're welcome...uh, do me a favor and read the card in the morning, will you?" he requested, sitting down on her bed.

"Sure," she replied, climbing onto his lap.

"Why are you up so late?" he asks, wrapping one arm around her torso and raking his fingers through her dark hair.

"I had a nightmare," she admits, leaning against him.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asks, putting his chin on top of her head.

"It's the same one I've been having. The one where I was taken over by dark matter," she answers.

"How do you feel about it?" he asks, laying down with her next to him.

"It's over. I should move on, right? But it's hard. Before that whole incident happened, never in a million years would I have thought I'd lose control over myself like that," she whispers, "I hurt the ones I love. I can't forgive myself for what I've done."

"If you won't forgive yourself, then let me do it for you," he mumbled, his voice growing groggy.

She sighed heavily, relaxing in his hold. "I'll try."

He smirked, his eyelids growing heavier with each passing second.

 **Can I just vent for a second?**

 **So, I had this realization a few days ago, and it made me cry. No one in real life listens to me!**

 **I consider myself to be way too empathetic for my own good. It's why I joined Criminal Justice. I want to help other people and fight people who hurt or kill innocents for their own good. It pisses me the hell off.**

 **Whenever I try to speak up, I either get cut off, talked over, shut down, or ignored. What's ironic is that it's mostly my friends. Closest ones, too.**

 **I know for a fact I'm not the only one with this problem. I bet a lot of you don't get listened to, either. I feel really selfish bitching about it here, too! Like, why, though? I mean, I'm a person! You're a person! We all deserve to be listened to!**

 **If you ever need to vent, rage, or just someone to talk to...I am here. You can talk to me! I don't care about what! I want you to know that I will listen to you! Just PM me or drop a review and I'll listen! I don't care what it's about. Politics, problems in the world, a new fandom, whatever! You're a person and you deserve to be listened to. Please please please just PM me/review. I will listen! I know what it's like.**

 **Actually...thinking on that, I have an idea. What if I started a story where we could all just vent? Like, you guys could drop reviews and then I could write something up in the ninja's POV.**

 **I don't know. Please, just know I'm here to listen. I love you guys, you've supported me for soooooo very long now!**

 **Anyways, thank you for hearing me out. Happy holidays, too, and know that Circus4APsycho8 will eat until she hates herself in honor of all of you.**


	23. 20-Shopping Together

**Hi everyone! I whipped this up in roughly twenty minutes, so it sucks. At least I can finally move on from this one...I hate shopping scenes D:**

"I'm pretty sure the recipe called for this brand," Cole starts, examining a box of chocolate.

"I don't think it matters, though!" Nya cries, "I think dark chocolate would taste better anyway."

Cole shakes his head. "It's too bitter for my liking!"

"Fine. Then..." Nya plucks a different box from the shelf, "how about semi-sweet?"

"Alright," he compromises, placing the bag of chocolate inside the cart.

"Cool. Now that that's finally sorted out..." She sighs heavily, dropping the bag in the cart, then pulling the grocery list out of her pocket.

"Zane wants ingredients for a recipe, Kai wants more junk food, same with Jay, Sensei requested tea and Lloyd wants candy. Figures."

"Let's start with Zane. What's he making?" Cole asks, trying to peek over her shoulder. She jerks away, turning so he can't see the list.

"Stop! You know I don't like it when people read over my shoulder!" she admonishes, cutting him off before he can say anything more. "Zane's cooking spaghetti salad with tomatoes, feta, and pesto sauce."

"Ooooh, a Mediterranean-inspired dish!" gushes Cole.

Nya can already taste the perfection Zane was bound to whip up. "I'm so excited!"

Cole catches onto her dreamy expression and raises an eyebrow. "I guarantee that I can make it better than him!"

Nya rolls her eyes, not even othering to hide it. "Sweetie, I don't think so."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was so cute when he was like this: his cheeks slightly puffed out, lips pulled into a pout, eyes shimmering with defiance. "C'mon, babe! Aren'tcha gonna support me?"

"Yes, but we need to finish this up first," she turns back to the list.

"It's not fair that Zane's food could turn you against me so fast, you meanieeeee!" Cole whined pathetically.

"Life's not fair. And I'm not against you!" Nya exclaims.

"Yes you are! I saw the way that you thought about his food!"

"Shut up!" she replied, fighting a smile, "we need to get this over with!"

"Zane's food is gonna steal my girl..." Cole complains.

Nya turns her back to investigate more candy. "Lloyd wants some of these," she mumbles, grabbing a bag of sour candy, "Kai likes these," she picks up a bag of Hot Tamales, "and Jay likes Skittles."

With her arms full of candy, she turns back to their cart.

"I got all the candy I thi-" she's cut off by one of the most embarrassing and adorable sights ever. There, sitting in the grocery cart, is Cole. His knees are pulled up snugly against his chest, and it looks like he barely fits in there. Nya's eyes widen in shock.

"Cole!" she scolds, "What...why...how are you able to fit in that?! Get out! You're going to break something!"

He gasps in mock-offense. "Are you calling me fat?!"

She rolls her eyes before she can't hold it in any longer, laughter escaping her. Cole can't keep up his serious façade and cracks up, too.

"Oh my overlord...why must you do this to me..." She exhales, gasping for breath.

"You know you love me!" he yells.

"I don't know why. You infuriate me to death," she admits with a fond smile.

"Can you push me?" He pleads.

She shakes her head, huffing a laugh.


	24. 21-Getting flowers for the other

**Whoa this update was fast! I'm kinda scared.**

 **Let's see...this 'shot was heavily inspired from Life is Strange: Before the Storm.**

Nya grunts, risking a glance at the way she came. She's not sure whether or not she was in the right place, but her gut was screaming at her that something was about to go down. Something nasty and, most likely, illegal. Her walk had gone from a leisurely stroll to a deadly, adrenaline-powered chase.

She tries tugging on the door to the warehouse, but it refuses to give, a pathetic squeak the only result. She sighs, looking around for some kind of entrance. Hm, maybe there's a door around the side?

A scream comes from inside the seemingly-abandoned warehouse, causing Nya to whip around and dash to the left, where she spots a hole in the wooden wall. It seems to have been busted in, but by what? With no time to ponder on the cause, she climbs through, grateful she decided against wearing heels earlier. Stumbling through the hole, she comes across a large clearing, most of which is blocked from her view. Roughly six feet in front of her are a series of broken bookshelves, dressers, and other various furniture, their wood splintered into sharp pieces that could easily penetrate flesh. She makes a mental note to stay away from this area if she can.

The waterbender hears voices coming from the center of the room. She crouches a bit, then sneaks towards a crack in a rather large, broken bookshelf, where she can see a through the makeshift barrier.

"I told you, I don't have the money yet! I'm gonna get it soon!" yelled a man tied to a chair.

"Mmm, but you told me you would have it by this date," replies the smooth, soft voice of a woman with dark, black hair cut just above her shoulders.

Nya frowns, trying to make out the object in her hand. It's in her left hand, so Nya can't quite make out what it is from her hiding spot. She waits a few more seconds before looking around.

"Look, I have a way to get the money, I just need some extra time-"

"I don't _have_ time!" snaps the woman.

"I don't have the money! I promise I'll get it to you!" the man's voice is growing more desperate with every plea.

Nya spots something to her right, just around the corner. She tiptoes her way over to the yellow object that had caught her eye: a stack of rectangular, wooden, faded-yellow crates. She sneaks a glance at the two; they seem to be engrossed in their argument. Quickly, she turns back to the stack of crates, and then tugs on the lock of one. It squeaks slightly but opens. She looks back at the conversation playing out in the clearing, but neither seem to have noticed her. Grateful, the water ninja gently pulls the lid open.

Inside are several stashes of a colorless, crystalline salt. She's overcome with the overwhelming stench of...bitter almonds?

That means these packets can only be one thing: potassium cyanide, a lethal poison. Nya frowns. She'll have to get this to the police somehow so they could get rid of it. This was enough poison to kill thousands.

Closing the top and re-securing it, Nya creeps back to where she started. There's low chance that she'll be able to sneak up on this woman if the man gets distracted, but she thinks she'll be able to take on this woman, and the man if he turns out to be hostile, too.

She steps closer to the barrier, then she steps into the center through another hole in the barrier. The woman turns, shock written on her face.

"Who are you?!" she demands, her left reaching into her pocket. Nya keeps an eye on this.

"That doesn't matter," Nya replies coolly, "just surrender now, and I'll-"

She doesn't have time to respond, because the woman whips out a pistol faster than Nya can summon her magic. The trigger has been pulled before Nya can even react. The waterbender collapses onto the concrete floor, her vision going blurry. She's suddenly overcome by a strange burning sensation just below her rib cage.

Mmm...it's like the burning feeling is getting even more aggravated as time progresses; the pain is spreading upward, throughout her stomach. Or what's left of it. There are screams, bursts of light, blurry colors, and rushing figures. Nya can't bring herself to attempt to distinguish this from that; it simply seems like too much effort. She can't believe she got shot; it's not what she would have imagined it would feel like at all.

Her head rolls to the side as her eyes flutter shut.

…

Cole sighs, turning his head sideways on his pillow. He had finally managed to get a good night's sleep, which was a rare occurrence for him. He squeezes his eyes closed once more, trying to jerk himself back into his dream world. Of course, now that he's awake and trying to remember it, he can't force the idea of his dream to come back to him. He knows it's back there, hiding somewhere, but he can't quite grasp its concept.

With a frustrated huff of disappointment, Cole gives up, then flops onto his stomach. His back suddenly feels very relieved to stretch out a little bit. He nuzzles his face into his pillow, inhaling its comforting scent.

He lies there for overlord knows how long, until he decides he should get up. Shifting his weight to his hands, he pushes himself up, sliding his legs over the edge of his bunk bed. He drops down as quietly as he can. Cole hears both Jay and Kai shift and groan, but neither wake. Of course, Zane is already up and at it, probably whipping up yet another phenomenal breakfast.

He stretches out, raising his hands above his head and arching his back. A yawn escapes his mouth as he listens to the chorus of the bones in his back popping. He realizes that something about today is just…off. That's the closest he can come to what the pit in his stomach feels like.

 _Off._

He's not sure what could be wrong, so he decides to keep his guard up and keep the nagging feeling of off-ness filed away in a mentally-unlocked cabinet.

The ninja pads into the kitchen bare-foot, his feet slapping lazily away at the wooden floor. Hand shoved into the pockets of his dark sweatpants, Cole shuffles towards Zane.

"Good morning, Cole," greets Zane without even turning from whatever he's cutting on the counter.

"Mornin', tin can," Cole replies, patting Zane on his shoulder before trekking towards the fridge.

"Do not fill up just yet, brother. I am cooking!" Zane sighs.

"I was just gonna make some coffee!" whines Cole as he grabs the creamer from the fridge.

"If you say so," Zane responds, wiping his hands off on his pink apron.

After Cole helps Zane set the table, the nindroid begins bringing in the food. The other ninja start to trickle in one by one.

The uneasy knot in his stomach is swelling tighter every minute. Cole looks around; something is wrong, but he's not sure what.

 _Wait._

Nya wasn't here. She was always one of the first ones up. He stands suddenly, then walks into the hallway, ignoring all the questioning stares he's getting from the table.

He nearly jogs to Nya's room. Taking a breath, he knocks three times.

"Nya?" he asks.

There is no answer.

"Nya?" he wonders again, "I'm coming in."

He turns the knob, but only to find out it's locked.

…

That must mean she's not here. The only time she locked her door was when she was out.

Where would she have gone? Usually, she would sleep in a little longer on days like these.

He turns around and walks into the living room.

"What's up, man?" Jay asks.

"Does anyone know where Nya went? She's not here," Cole states.

Kai looks up. "Really? She usually tells me if she goes somewhere."

"I know. I have a bad feeling that she's in trouble," Cole admits, wondering where he should start to look for her.

Then, Kai's phone rings. He picks it up and answers it.

"Hello…yeah, I am…what?!...is she…where…will she be alright?" The firebender seems to be holding his breath as he waits for a response. Then, he thanks whoever is on the line, then turns his phone off, standing up.

"You. Come on," Kai points at Cole, then the two race out of Destiny's Bounty.

…

Cole's always hated hospitals. There was too much blinding white, and oh how he despised that trademark scent of a hospital. Every time he saw someone in a wheelchair or heard a scream or cry, his protective ninja instincts would flare up, urging him to do something to help these poor people. It killed him to see people like this, but he knew that there was little he could do for them.

They easily found the room Nya was in. Cole gently pushed the door open.

There she was, lying in a hospital bed. An IV was hooked into the crook of her elbow, and she was dressed in a hospital gown. A blanket had been half-heartedly thrown over her, and her eyes were slightly open. Cole rushed to one side, and Kai the other.

"Guys?" Nya asked, her eyes widening. Cole took notice of how pale she looked, and his heart nearly broke.

"Nya, thank the overlord you're alright," Kai starts, taking her hand in his.

"I knew something was wrong this morning. Why didn't you tell either of us you were going out?! I would've gone with you!" Cole says, enveloping her clammy hand in his.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles.

Kai sighs exasperatedly, shaking his head. "It's alright. What happened?"

"I woke up early to take a walk," she starts, "so, when I was out, I heard a scream. I went to see what it was, and I found out it was in an abandoned warehouse. I managed to get inside, and I saw two people-one was tied up, the other had a gun-and they were arguing. I found a stash of potassium cyanide, enough to kill several people, and I tried to stop the woman with the gun from killing the man, but she shot me first." Nya explains.

"Where did she shoot you?" Cole inquires.

Nya pulls away the blanket, then lifts the hospital gown to reveal the gunshot wound in her stomach.

"It's a wonder I didn't bleed to death," she chuckles humorlessly.

Cole traces his fingers over her injury gently, then hugs her.

"Don't do that again," he mumbles, "you know you aren't supposed to go far alone. None of us are,"

"I'm sorry," she apologizes again.

"It's alright. Just tell me or Kai next time, alright? We were scared to death," he responds.

Kai joins in on the group hug, too.

…

 **[A Few Hours Later]**

Nya's eyelids flutter open, traces of a headache beginning to creep into her forehead. She groans, trying to stretch her back out a bit. She turns head to see that her big brother has fallen asleep at her side, and that…a large bouquet of multi-colored flowers have replaced Cole.

She grabs the card, then opens it:

 _Dearest Nya,_

 _I'll be back in a few hours. I'm off with the others to catch the people who shot you. For now, you may enjoy these flowers I found. They're anemones, and each color symbolizes something. You know I get confused with symbols and stuff, but I think anemones stand for healing. The white ones stand for sincerity, the purple ones are protection from evil. I know you're a mythology nerd, so the red ones were something like: "While Aphrodite was crying, Adonis shed blood on the anemones that came from her tears and stained them red." Yeah, I googled that. Sue me._

 _I love you, cutie. Please don't pull that crap again. I need you, and your hothead of a brother needs you too. Hell, the team needs you too. We love you._

 _From the bestest, most awesomest boyfriend eva,_

 _Cole 3_

She glances at the flowers again. Overlord, how in the world did she end up with a man as sweet as Cole?

She's not sure, but hey. She's not complaining.

Nya keeps the card pressed to her chest when she falls asleep again.

 **Since the last 'shot sucked, I decided to make this one longer, and (hopefully) with better writing. I mean, after I saw that I now have 101 reviews, I couldn't not write this. THANK YOU SO MUCH! This story has had the most reviews that I've ever gotten! Thank you all for sticking with me through my trashy update schedule. OH YEAH AND 6k! Jeez!**

 **Thank you all for reading!**

 **Also...one more thing. Someone brought a loaded handgun into the middle school I went to last year. My little brother was in the school when it happened, but thankfully no one was hurt or killed. Please be aware when you're out in public. This is scary stuff. I saw how it affected my brother...but jeez. The trigger wasn't even pulled and this kid caused a lot of damage. There were three other schools near mine that were on lockdown because everyone was so on edge...I hope everyone from my Criminal Justice class is alright who are from that other school. This crap seriously pisses me the hell off.**


	25. 22 - Competition

**Hello everyone! This prompt is actually based off of something that happened over the weekend.**

"Oh overlord! Why did I come here?" Nya mumbles, attempting to wipe away her tears from her face as they stream down her cheeks. She crumples the tissue, squeezing it as her heart continues to pound in her chest. Grabbing the edges of the sink, she stares in the mirror. Her tear-streaked, panicked expression stares back at her. The distant chatter of the room outside is beginning to fade away as Nya's increasing panic begins to take over.

She's not sure she can do this. People had already been staring at her when she was pacing back and forth, and at this point, it was already pretty obvious she had been crying. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hold back her tears. She refused to cry in front of others, but now, it was getting hard. Her anxiety and panic had continued to pile on top of each other throughout the morning, and, as a result, here she was. Sobbing in the bathroom because she's too scared to make a speech.

She hated herself for it. For being so weak.

She was supposed to represent her class, her school, her district...and yet here she was, trying to pull herself together before her competition.

She didn't think she'd be able to calm down in time.

Nya wasn't even sure why she was so scared; all she had to do was summarize the story she'd written and she'd be fine. It would be fine if it wasn't perfect; after all, she hadn't practiced at all. This wasn't her fault.

This wasn't her fault.

Nya keeps telling herself that, but it doesn't seem to be working. Her breathing speeds up as panic blinds her vision. Dammit, if she can just pull herself together for a few minutes then she can get through this. Then, after she has ripped the band aid off, then she can cry in the bathroom for as long as she wants.

But why is it so hard to keep the tears in? Maybe she should go back to Sensei Wu and explain why she couldn't do this.

But...he wouldn't accept that. He knew she could do this! That's why she's here, isn't it?

Wiping her eyes away once more, she tosses the used tissue in the trashcan. Well, she's here, so she might as well compete, right? Even if this turns out to be a complete disaster. It's likely that she'll never see these people again. Her grip on her purse tightens as she hurries out of the bathroom, heart quickening in pace as she can feel eyes land on her shaking figure. She makes it to the table she and another competitor had been sitting earlier.

Nya finds that her chair has been taken away for someone else's use, causing Nya to sigh heavily.

Standing there awkwardly, she pretends to re-read her speech as her mind continues to run at different scenarios. Nya running out of the competition room in tears, silently begging for people not to stare. Nya forcing jumbled words and mashed phrases through her tears. Her doing something else embarrassing in front of the judges.

She sneaks a glance around the room. All of the other competitors are standing around chattering and laughing. None of them look as nervous as Nya does, which sends a wave of embarrassment through her.

Another wave of tears threatens to spill as she bites her lip. How in the hell can she compete against these people?! They're so prepared compared to her. Flicking the edge of the packet of papers back and forth as her knees continue to become more unsteady with each passing second, her heart begins to hammer a mile a minute as her eyes anxiously dart here and there.

"Hey, are you okay?" asks a voice behind her. Eyes going wide, Nya spins to face a tall, handsome man with fluffy black hair and dark green eyes. She takes a step back, hoping she doesn't look like too much of a wreck.

"Oh...uh...yeah, I-I'm just really nervous," she replies, voice cracking slightly. She doesn't even try to smile, knowing that she's really not in the mood.

He nods, a grin appearing. "I understand. What competition are you doing?"

"Prepared Speech," she starts, "but I g-got placed in the wrong one. Um...I wrote an essay, but for some reason it got mixed up with this competition, and I wasn't expecting to actually have to recite it by memory, so I haven't practiced at all..."

Another nod. "I see. Okay. First of all." He sticks his arm out to signal a side hug, which Nya gladly accepts. "It's going to be okay. I know public speaking is scary." He releases her, then reaches into the pocket of his blazer, "I have one somewhere..." he mumbles, shuffling around.

Nya notices that his nametag reads 'Cole Brookestone – Extemporaneous Speech - Contestant 103'. She fiddles with her own nametag - 'Nya Smith – Prepared Speech – Contestant 106' - and averts her gaze as she does so.

"Ah, here we are! You can wipe your tears with this," he says, tugging a handkerchief out of the pocket before handing it to her.

"Oh...thank you..." Nya says, accepting the cloth and patting her eyes a little.

"Alright. Do you have a copy of your speech on you?" he questions, glancing at her.

"Yeah, right here," she replies, placing the folder down on the table, anxiously eyeing him as he opens it and shuffles through the papers.

"Let's see...you've got your essay, resume, and a verification form. Perfect." He places the papers back inside but leaves the folder open to expose her speech.

"Okay, so. First of all: deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth." Nya obeys, sucking in oxygen through her nose, holding it, then exhaling.

"Alright. So, you've got everything you need. You just need to breathe; these are just the pre-competition jitters, you know? See, a speech is like a one-on-one conversation. All you have to do is keep the conversation going. Another cool thing about speech is that the only person who knows you've made a mistake is you. Only you. I don't know if they'll have a copy of this speech in front of them, but still."

Nya nods, the tears beginning to slow. She knows that this is more than pre-competition jitters.

This is full-blown panic attack.

"Everyone gets these nervous jitters beforehand, alright? Just do your best, and next year you can come back stronger! Just get in there, say what you need to say, then you're done!" He smiles. "What grade are you in?"

"N-ninth," Nya admits.

"A freshman. See, you're a freshman and you're already at the State level!" He replies, grinning. "That's impressive. And, if you don't do well this year, then you can come back next year. Like I said, better and stronger."

Nya smiles shyly, handing the handkerchief back. "Thank you."

He nods. "No problem. It's your first time, so no one expects you to be perfect, okay? Just do your best. This is your story. You wrote it, so you should be pretty familiar with it, right? Just summarize the key points, go into detail whenever it feels right."

"Okay," she responds, "thank you. I-um, appreciate the advice. I've never made a speech before."

"Don't mention it. I remember my first speech," he laughs, "it...didn't go that well. But, even it doesn't go well, you can still stay you did your best!" Someone calls his name, but he holds a finger to them, then turns back to her.

"Oh, I guess you have to go," Nya states.

"Yeah. But tell me how it goes! Good luck and remember what I said!" He yells before giving her another side hug and sauntering back to his friend.

Nya smiles, her tears now not as eager to escape. He was right; this is her first time. No one expects her to be perfect.

She smiles to herself softly. No one expects her to be perfect. That line alone makes her feel a tad better.

"I can do this," she mutters, smiling a little bit.

 **Would you be interested in a series of short stories revolving around a similar AU? I might write something about it.**

 **I swear I'm finishing this before I die. Thank you for your patience!**


	26. 23 - Being Old Together

**You guys are weird but I love you anyway. I *might* write a lemon. First time I tried writing it was a fucking disaster. Here's something *short* I came up with on the fly**

"I can't do, Sensei!" one of the disciples says with disappointment. She kicks the bucket with the hole away, much like Nya had when she was training to become the master of water.

With a sigh, Nya pats her student on the back. "You certainly won't with that attitude. Try again, but this time look at it from your element's perspective. You're overthinking it." With that, Nya leaves the student, who groans and mumbles.

"This is harder than I thought. Makes me feel bad for Wu," Nya begins as she passes her husband.

Cole grins tiredly. "I know. Now that we're in his shoes, I understand why he did the things he did."

She looks up at him, smiling. Strands of his dark hair were turning grey as time ticked onward. He was still handsome to her, and time had yet to make the childish glint in his eyes fade.

"Seems like it was just yesterday, hm?" Nya asks, turning to face the struggling girl.

"Oh yeah," Cole replies. "You know...she's a spitting image of you."

Shaking her head, Nya huffs a laugh. "Ugh, I know. It's kind of irritating. In retrospect, I can see why Sensei Wu was kinda frustrated with me."

"Yeah, I mean...you are frustrating," Cole teases, wrapping his arms around her.

With a smirk, Nya replies: "Look who's talking."

He chuckles, nuzzling his nose into her neck. "So cute."

"Ugh, I'm not cute!" Nya declares, giggling at the ticklish feeling.

"You're right. You're fucking adorable," Cole responds, poking her stomach.

"Stop!" squeals Nya as she flails around, trying to escape the former earth ninja's grip.

"Ahaha. Super strength, remember? Lasts beyond being a ninja."

"Sometimes I question why I married you."

He chuckles deeply. "You know you love me."


	27. Burn it Down Update!

Announcement?

Looks like a lot of you are looking forward for that AU lol.

This has been in my mind for a while. Ok so...you guys remember Burn it Down? Well I was rereading the entire story because I was bored one day...and then I got an idea for the rewrite.

I call it: All Levels at Once

So I'm roughly halfway finished with rewriting it and I have to say I am extremely pleased with the way it's coming along thus far! I started working on it a few weeks ago. Now, I've been staying up late working on rough drafts and editing and proofreading like crazy during the day. I'm not going to post it until it's finished, though, because if I post it now, I'll probably lose motivation to finish it later.

Hm...I want you all to give me advice from my mistakes from BID. I already know I made their relationship go way too fast. I know that story sucks and all the ages are messed up along with the general plot. I'm fixing all that in the rewrite.

Now that my writing has improved, I want to give you guys a complete, good quality story and I think I can do it now. BID got nearly 7,000 views and I can't just ignore that!

Here's a little info on the upcoming story: it's going to be a murder mystery. The setting is similar to BID, but the plots are varying greatly. Obviously it's going to be Cole X Nya!

Also, what do you all want to see? I've gotten a surprising amount of requests for a freaking lemon *facepalm* which may or may not happen. I'm asking for certain fluff scenes or head canons you guys have. I'm only using two OCs, one of which is a detective and the other...well, she's sort of a surprise. You'll see what I mean when the time comes.

The only things I will NOT include are canons from the latest season, Sons of Garmadon. I haven't watched it and probably won't because I wasn't too impressed with Hands of Time. (I mean there were more Lloyd X Nya moments than there were Jaya so D:)

Give me advice. Ask questions. Go on rants. Talk to me. I thank you all for sticking with me and hope you have a great [insert appropriate word].

And I'm working on the next Oneshot for this story, aight? Drink lots of water. Stay determined. Take care of yourselves. Love y'all ❤️


	28. 24 - Dealing with children

"Um…"

"What do we do…?"

Both ninja blink and stare at the small creature before them, which is currently crying for an unknown reason. Nya hesitates for a moment before she gently wraps her hands around the infant's back, lifting her up. The water master slips one arm underneath the baby's back, supporting her neck. She then cradles the other arm around the small human being.

Said baby was found by Lloyd, Jay, and Kai, who had been out on a mission when they found this particular baby with no parents around. Lloyd brought her back and had asked Nya and Cole to take care of her while the others tried to find out who the parents were.

Nya bounces lightly on her feet, humming softly, hoping the vibration will be enough to calm the infant down.

"You're good at that," Cole notices, stepping up beside her and planting a loving kiss on her neck. Nya smiles up at him before she looks back down at the infant, whose eyelids are beginning to droop.

"Eh, I remember some stuff Misako taught me a while back," Nya responds, gently placing the baby back into her makeshift crib of blankets and pillows.

"Oh. Well…does she have a name?" Cole questions, gazing down at the small child snoozing peacefully.

"I don't think we've found it yet," Nya answers, stepping back.

"I guess we should give her one, then?" Cole says more like a question.

Nya nods. "What were you thinking?"

Cole frowns for a minute in consideration before his face lights up. Nya giggles at his cute expression. "I like the name Lena."

"I like that, too. Lena it is then!"

…

Cole groans, trying to cover his ears as the screeching of the baby continues. He glances at the digital clock resting on his nightstand. It reads: _2:31 AM_. Groaning, he tosses the blankets aside and hops down from his bunkbed.

The others were still out on a mission, with the exception of Zane, who still slept soundly through all the noise. Shaking his head, the earth master approaches the guest room where Lena was supposed to be.

He finds her in her makeshift crib. She wiggles about as her cries continue. Cole rubs his eyes, then picks the squirmy baby up in his arms.

"Hey," he mumbles, voice gruff as he tried calming the baby down, huffing when she kept crying. "Hm…how about a lullaby?"

Shifting the girl in his arms, he tries to remember the one song his mother used to sing to him when he was really little. The lyrics slowly come back to him.

He hums a little bit before beginning.

 _In the still of the night_

 _I held you_

 _Held you tight_

He continues rocking her back and forth. She wiggles gently, but her relentless energy begins to subside a little bit.

 _'Cause I love_

 _Love you so_

 _Promise I'll never_

 _Let you go_

 _In the still of the night_

Cole keeps on walking around with the little human, unaware of Nya standing in the doorway.

 _I remember_

 _That night in May_

 _The stars were bright above_

 _I'll hope, and I'll pray_

He shifts her to his other arm, lightly bouncing on his feet as he glances down at little Lena. Her eyes are droopy again.

 _To keep_

 _Your precious love_

 _Well before the light_

 _Hold me again_

 _With all of your might_

 _In the still of the night_

He gives a small smile at the little child in his arms. Of all the things he's accomplished in his career as a ninja, this was definitely the hardest and least expected.

 _So before the light_

 _Hold me again_

 _With all of your might_

 _In the still of the night_

 _In the still of the night_

He silently cheers in victory as her eyelids close completely and her breathing steadies out. Sighing in relief, he slowly tried to set her down into her crib.

Then she started crying again as soon as he set her down. Nya had a hard time keeping her giggles silent as Cole mumbled a few choice words and picked the girl back up again.

…

 **Hey all! Here's a short lil thing. Hoped you liked it! I based the second part off of Castiel singing a lullaby to that baby…I just had to make Cole do that too, omg!**

 **A'ight, so the rewrite I announced? I hit a little block, but at least I'm still writing.**

 **Also, I'm going to start taking requests for the following ships:**

 **Kailor**

 **CoNya**

 **Jaya**

 **PixZane**

 **RoNya**

 **Ash X Nya (lol haven't seen that one in forever)**

 **Platonic stuffs**

 **The reason why I'm doing this is because after this thingo gets finished, Imma be at a loss for what to write, so I decided to try taking requests again.**

 **Feel free to request a specific scene, or just a genre, like fluff, angst, or whatever. Just drop a comment or PM me. It won't be out for a while, but I'd like to get a head start if possible.**

 **As for the rewrite, like I said, I hit a block, but I'll get through it :D have a good day/night!**

 **By the way...next chapter is going to have sexy times. No smut, just seduction *insert lenny face here* just so y'know.**


	29. 25 - Trying to seduce the other

**Songs that I listened to while writing this~**

 **Replay by Zendaya**

 **1979 by Smashing Pumpkins**

 **Would You Wait for Me by Brett Young**

 **Obstacles by Syd Matters**

 **Beautiful by Smashing Pumpkins.**

 **Speaking of songs, I completely forgot to give credit last chapter. The song used last chapter was In the Still of the Night by The Five Saints. Sorry about that!**

 **Also, this turned out a lot less cringy than I thought it would. I had a friend of mine read it first just to make sure.**

A soft hum escapes Nya's lips as she continues to run the remaining dishes through the water. The hot liquid splashes onto her hands as she scrubs a dirtied plate, her mind fixated on the redundant process she's come to embrace over the years.

The song she's humming is gradually drowned out by the splashes of water. With her mind on autopilot and her hands occupied, Cole finds the perfect opportunity to sneak up on her. He notices that she doesn't acknowledge him as he approaches her. The earth master glances at her eyes, which are glazed with distance. Her cheeks are completely relaxed for once, and her lips are ever-so-red. The way her dark hair falls around her face reminds him of how comfortable they'd become around each other in the time they'd been together.

As she continues to work, she begins humming a new tune. The simple, slightly off-beat melody brings a smile to his face as he remembers just how much he loves this woman. Suddenly, he feels the overwhelming urge to show her just how much he loved her, even if there was nothing he could possibly do to fully convey the extent of his gratitude for her.

Stepping forward, he gently loops his arms around her waist. Nya continues scrubbing, unfazed by his actions.

"Good evening, love," she greets, her voice soft. Cole knew she'd grown used to hugs like these, yet still she welcomed them. After a few moments, he pulls away and turns her around, pulling her to him and smiling softly at her.

"Nya," he breathes. Words can't begin to describe this woman.

The woman who made his house a home.

The woman who'd saved him on multiple occasions.

The woman who had stuck with him through thick and thin.

"I love you so much," he whispers, leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

She rests her head onto his collarbone. "I love you too."

"You have no idea how much I love you," he states, bringing his hands up to her neck. Nya chuckles softly, placing her hands on top of his when they have settled against her skin.

"Yes, I do. You prove it to me every day," she comments. His gaze shifts to meet her eyes, which are a specific mix of an earthy green and the shade of brown that are the color of Kai's eyes that come together to make a pretty hazel color. They're filled with sincerity.

Cole doesn't answer, and instead closes the distance between them with a kiss. He feels Nya's lips twitch against his, almost like she's trying not to smile, so he slides his hands down to her waist and presses her against him. She releases a heavy exhale before wrapping her arms around his neck. Cole finds himself lightly nibbling her upper lip, causing her to moan slightly.

"I wish I could show you how much I love you," he admits when they break away for air.

A small smirk creeps onto Nya's lips. "I have a few ideas as to how you could go about starting."

 **Something about love like this is what makes intimacy beautiful. I don't know what exactly, since I don't have an experience with this, but I hope one day I will be able to put it into words.**

 **Please tell me what you thought of this!**


	30. 26 - Dealing with Family

Nya was proud to know that her two favorite boys got along very well. Cole and Kai had their differences, yes, but even so the two behaved like brothers. It always warmed her heart to know that Kai approved of her boyfriend. He had been extremely overprotective of her at first, but as he grew to knew Cole, the fire master had backed off significantly.

As mentioned earlier, the two were vastly different, although both had one person in common: Nya. Both boys had an intimate connection with the water master than the other ninja did for evident reasons. These two ninja knew Nya better than anyone else, which meant that they shared a much closer bond together.

Kai and Cole weren't just best friends at heart, but brothers. It was mostly due to the team, yes, but Nya still caught the quick glances and the silent conversations that were exchanged between the two. No one else noticed these brief contacts with the exception of the Senseis and Misako, whose perceptions had developed with time and years of experience. Nya knew that would have been the case.

Even though the two constantly picked on and pushed each other around, Nya could tell that both cared for the other deeply. It sent a smile to her face to see the two interact.

Currently, Nya is curled up with Cole on the couch, her head on his chest and her feet pressed against Kai's lap on the other side of the sofa. She feels her big brother absent-mindedly picking at the hem of her fuzzy socks. Cole has one arm draped loosely around her torso and the other one propped up on the arm of the couch. That hand is intertwined with her hair as he gently plays with it, green eyes focused on the movie onscreen.

It was times like this where Nya felt most at home, when Jay was fiddling with some invention on the other couch, Lloyd reading manga next to him, with Zane silently watching Jay from the other side of the room. It was never truly quiet with all of the ninja, and on the rare occasions when it was, it felt…well, just plain eerie.

Oftentimes, Nya finds herself wondering how in the hell she got here. There were glimpses of what her life was like before teaming up with these dorks, but she couldn't fully remember.

Now she thinks that's a good thing.

…

With a sigh, Nya picks her way through the crowded streets. She turns her head this way and that, trying to find her destination. After a few more minutes of wandering, she finally finds the house she's looking for.

Remembering Cole's advice to use the doorbell, she gingerly presses the button in. A song emanates from the button, one that must have been sung by none other than The Royal Blacksmiths themselves.

" _Weeelllllcooooommmme~_!" the ringtone sings. Nya shakes her head fondly, a small smile on her face.

Before she knows it, the door swivels open, revealing the figure of Lou Brookestone himself.

Nya finds herself smiling at her boyfriend's father. Even if Lou wasn't fully aware of their relationship (at least, Nya didn't _think_ he was, not yet), Nya still adored the old man.

His eyes light up upon seeing her. "Ah! It's you, my son's girlfriend!"

There goes their hope for telling him. Eh, it doesn't matter now. With a chuckle and red cheeks, Nya nods. "Yep. It's little old me."

With a smile, he beckons her inside. "Come in, come in!"

…

"So, Nya dear, what brings you all the way here?" Lou asks, sitting down beside her.

"Cole, um…he's in the hospital," she answers, her smile fading as she says that.

His face falls. "What? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he has a pretty bad concussion and a few broken bones. He'll be okay, but he's going to be out of training for a while. None of us could find a phone number we could reach you with, so I decided to come and tell you myself."

Lou nods. "Thank you. I'm relieved he'll be okay. What happened?"

"They were battling a large group of thieves, but Cole was focusing on something else. Long story short, he fell off of a roof," Nya responds, shaking her head again. She planned to have a long talk with him about paying attention later on.

"You said he has a concussion?" Lou asks.

"Yes, sir," she states.

"Then won't he need to be somewhere quiet? Without distractions?" Lou questions.

"He will. We were planning on letting him use my room while he gets better."

"Why don't you bring him here? I could take care of him while you all continue. I'd…I'd like a little time with my son, if that's alright."

She chuckles lightly. "Of course, it is. I'll let the others know." She stands up, but Lou stops her once she has reached the door.

"Miss Smith?"

"Yes, Mr. Brookestone?" she replies, turning to face him.

"Cole…please take care of him," he requests suddenly, "he's too hard on himself, and he doesn't…if he gets too bad, it takes its toll on him. I saw him like that once. I can't bear to see him like that again."

Another nod escapes Nya. "I know…he…he told me."

"He must really love you then," Lou observes. "I hope you know that I'm truly grateful for everything you do for him."

"I know you are. I'm glad we have your blessing."

"You truly are a good woman. Cole speaks the truth about you," Lou notes, sighing. "I won't hold you up any longer."

…

Cole smiles softly upon seeing the reunited family. Both children are tightly embraced within their parents' arms. Nya and Kai had spent so many years thinking they would never see their parents again, and now that they're back in the flesh, Cole can't help but wonder how much things will change with them back.

Suddenly, he grows nervous. Kai, at first, had been reluctant to let Cole near Nya after he found out of his interest in her. It'd taken him a while to come around, but how would that work with Ray? The guy seemed way more stubborn than Kai, and even though Cole could most likely hold his own against their father, he was still intimidated. He shakes thoughts out of his head as Nya sneaks a glance at him. She smiles quickly before turning back to her family.

Their parents had caught the exchange. Cole feels Ray's hard glare burning into his skin. He thinks he hears Maya giggle before she whispers something to her husband.

After the ninja finally leave the scene and go back home, Nya steps up to Cole. She giggles before leaping into his arms. He chuckles, embracing her.

"You found them," he murmurs, closing his eyes.

He feels something wet drip onto his cheeks before he opens his eyes again. Nya's eyes are filled with tears, but she's smiling.

"Cole, I'm…" she trails off for a moment before shaking her head like she's in disbelief, "I'm so happy. I'm so tired, but I'm so happy."

Cole almost begins to cry upon seeing so much joy in her eyes. He holds it back because he knows she's just happy to see her family together again.

"I'm so glad. You deserve every bit of it and more."

 **Aaaaaaand BOOM all of the sudden I have a Discord _and_ a Tumblr. Where is my life going? Anyone interested?**

 **Anywho~ I hope you like this chapter!**


	31. 27 - Moving in Together

**(A/N): Hey all...few announcements before we get started.**

 **So, I'm still working on the new story. I'm hoping to put it up sometime in November, but once again, I'm not good with schedules. I'll try my best but no promises. I'm taking a lot more advanced classes this year (two sciences! Fun but hard) so it's crazy rn but I will get it up!**

 **To the guests: I'm going to be temporarily enabling comment moderation because I've been experiencing issues with spam bots. Is anyone else having this issue? So far, I've gotten about 300 reviews worth of spam on a single oneshot. It was very Anti-CU. I hate moderating comments...I feel like I can trust everyone to be decent human beings and all that, but ugh...spam sucks.**

 **Also, this story has received about 9,100 hits. Thank you very much! It hasn't passed the record of ~10, 300, but it's getting there!**

 **Finally, I'd like to go into further detail on my new Discord server! If you are an artist, reader, writer, Beta reader, a combination of those, etc, then you're more than welcome to join a server one of my friends and I made. It's for people in Small Fandoms. You can meet and talk with Beta readers, get constructive criticism on writing/artwork, just hang out with us...whatever! We've got a good amount of people so far, but it'd be awesome if more people from this fandom joined! Everyone there is really nice! PM me if you're interested and I'll send you the invite link. If it works on here. We'll work it out lol.**

 ***cough* anyway. I think that's about it.**

 **ONTO THE ONESHOT YOU CAME FOR!**

"It's way too quiet," Nya comments, setting down her bookbag on one of the pieces of covered furniture.

"Yeah," Cole responds. "I love it and hate it at the same time."

"Me too," agrees Nya. The two are silent for a while, taking in the house they'd bought recently. The walls are dark while every single piece of furniture has been covered with a white sheet. Nya think that they're probably going to have to do a lot of cleaning in order to restore this place to its former glory, but that can wait for now. She and Cole are just relieved they're back from the two-hour drive from the monastery.

"Seeing this and knowing that we've come this far..." Cole sighs with a soft smile lighting his lips, rubbing the back of his neck. "It makes me indescribably happy."

"I'm glad. After all you and the guys have done for our city..." she trails off.

Cole hugs her from behind. "You're a part of the team too, dummy."

"I know, I know. Yo-"

"Nya."

She chuckles. "We deserve some downtime, hm?"

"Yeah."

Once again, the eerie silence fills the atmosphere.

"This is going to take a while to get used to," Nya comments. She sighs. "Come on, let's go see our room."

…

A few weeks later, and the house begins to feel like home for the two. Nya loves having her own spaces to work and Cole particularly adores their huge, soft bed. The two had a new routine of waking up to each other and giggling about that before cuddling and procrastinating on waking up.

While Cole loved that, it was still a challenge to get used to it. Since he had bunked with the others for so long, he'd grown used to the normal habits of living with other people: having to share your space, getting used to having other people around constantly, all that, he was fine with. Of course, he enjoyed living with Nya, but they'd still had their moments: the ones where both would have come home from work in a worse mood than they had been in when they'd woke up. They would fight, and those nights were hard.

Cole knew that as much as he loved Nya, he still needed alone time. The same went for her too. And when that would happen, Cole would either head out for a run or go meditate somewhere quiet. Nya usually went off to the library or back to her blacksmith shop.

Afterwards, they'd feel much better and would usually end up compromising with the matter.

Cole smiles, wrapping his arms around the woman curled up in his side. It'd been a long, bumpy ride, but it had been worth it. So worth it.

The lack of fighting and action was odd, yes, but now that his life was turning more into that of a domestic one...he'd found other ideas creeping into his mind.

He was with the woman he loved now, and that opened up a window for so many new opportunities: they could spend so much more time together. They could get married, and maybe even have a baby one day, when they were ready. Or, as ready as they could be.

Cole smiles at the thought. He would love a son or daughter to take care of, even if the responsibility was much greater than anything he'd ever been through before.

Squinting through the light, he buries his face into Nya's neck, inhaling her scent.

He sighs.

"Stop, love, that tickles..." Nya mutters, shifting. The earthbender chuckles, plopping his head back down on his pillow.

"Sorry."

He feels little vibrations run through her back, signaling that she was giggling.

The laid there for another half-hour or so. Cole knew that neither would have to go to work until later today, so they could just mess around until that time came.

He sighed once the clock told them it was almost noon. "We should get up, huh?"

Nya releases a whine and sinks back under the covers, causing Cole to yank them off of her. She squeaks and flails in an attempt to regain the missing warmth. The earth ninja tosses the blankets to the floor.

"You suck," Nya murmurs.

"Heh. I-"

"If you make a joke about that then I will kill you."

Cole snickers. "You could try. I could just lift you up like a sack of potatoes and watch you squirm."

The water ninja groans, rolling off the bed rather gracefully. "Shh. I need to make coffee first!"

Cole pouts. "Come on..."

"Shush. Do you want some?" she questions, throwing on one of Cole's giant hoodies.

"You really need an answer to that?"

"Touche," she grumbles before exiting. Cole slides off the bed and gets somewhat dressed as well. Halfway through, however, his expertly-trained nose picks up the scent of bacon being cooked in the kitchen.

He rushes to finish up.

Once he does, he heads towards the kitchen to see Nya standing in front of the stove. He snickers quietly, transferring his mindset into ninja mode, sneaking up behind her and coiling his arms around her waist. She's not even startled, to his disappointment.

"Nice try. Don't touch the bacon; it's almost finished. Would you mind setting the table while I finish up?"

"Of course." He detaches his arms from her before walking over to the cabinet and pulling out two plates. Setting those on the table, he ventures back to the kitchen to grab the needed silverware along with napkins and cups.

Nya dumps the bacon onto a paper plate lined with napkins, so Cole picks it up and moves it in the middle of their table. She brings in the coffee and the two have a seat.

"I wish I could cook as well as you can," Cole murmurs through bites, "everyone hated my cooking!"

"You're improving. And besides, even if you're not that good at cooking you can still bake like a god," Nya states.

Cole chuckles. Even though he had never been able to cook very well, for some reason he was amazing at baking. He thought it was his severe case of sweet tooth, but Nya thought otherwise.

The two shared a mostly quiet breakfast with few words being exchanged before cleaning up and getting ready for the day.

Nya adjusted her shirt, a white, long-sleeved button up with dark black dress slacks. Cole walked up to her.

"I don't want you to leave!" he groans.

"I need to get in a little early. We have an important meeting that I can't miss. And besides," she pokes him in the chest, "You should start getting ready as well."

He pouts, grabbing onto her arm. "Noooo..."

"Hush and go get dressed. We'll be back home before you know it," she says with a smile.

"I don't wanna..." he drawls.

She gently smacks his hands away and presses a kiss to his lips. He smiles and pulls her to him.

"Now shush and get ready. When we're finished with work, we'll come home and watch shitty horror movies while eating pizza and snuggling under a blanket. Does that sound alright?" she compromises.

"Fine. Be careful," Cole states, smiling at her.

"I will if you will."

"Alright. I'll see you later, love," Cole says, releasing Nya.

"Later," she pauses before adding, "I love you, earthworm."

"I love you too, cutie."

 **I also posted a new Halloween oneshot if you're interested :D Have a spoopy/happy Halloween!**


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